Line Fire in Highland Flares Ups near Big Bear Causing Smoke over the High Desert

Photo byDon Shults

HIGHLAND, CA. (Pain In The Pass) >> The Line Fire woke up (flare up) Thursday morning near the town of Big Bear today. With warmer weather, a wind direction change, and the pesky fire keeps causing smoke issues for the high desert. (Photo above is credit by Don Shults)

According to Cal Fire, they were called out to smoke in the area just after 10am and upon further investigation located several large spot fires in Bear Creek drainage was making significant runs yesterday into late last night. They said the spot fire is in a portion with an open line in a steep, inaccessible area.

The fire is pushing out of the Bear Creek drainage and has been doing it for a couple of days now. There is still a lot of unburned fuel, and nothing is threatened at this time. The incident has aircraft assigned and overhead, and the fire is still within the containment lines, Cal Fire said.

Update at this time, there is a threat to a couple of lifts at Snow Valley Mountain Ski Resort. Snow Valley is reported using the snow making machines to slow the flames.

When we say “steep and inaccessible terrain,” we aren’t joking, Cal Fire said. This is the unburned fuel you’ve been watching put off all that smoke on the Line Fire today.

Photo byCAL FIRE

As of 12pm Thursday the Line Fire has reached 83% containment, with all evacuations lifted. No structures are being threatened and no new evacuation orders have been issued at this time.

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