Hundreds of evacuated residents, pets given free housing during Line Fire outbreak

The San Bernardino National Forest and the Big Bear Mountains were charcoaled during the recent Line Fire .

At its height, the fire topped 39,000 acres with three structures that were damaged and one that was destroyed. There were 56,100 structures threatened, including 11,400 in evacuation order areas and 44,700 in evacuation zones.

Members of the Big Bear community banded together in the wake of the natural disaster, sharing their resources to provide housing to upwards of 650 people and more than 300 pets.

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According to Jackie McGraw, communications manager for Airbnb.org , the Visit Big Bear team joined forces with Airbnb.org to find housing for evacuees and displaced families in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Airbnb.org is a 501c (3) initiative founded in 2020 that connects people with free, temporary housing in times of crisis with the support of Airbnb hosts.

The program allowed evacuated Big Bear families 10 free Airbnb nights in units outside of the crisis area.

The team also enlisted the efforts of lodging first responders and firefighters within Big Bear, said Mike Imes, media relations for Visit Big Bear.

One such crisis host was Katie Kay Mead.

Mead is an Airbnb host in Lake Arrowhead and the host club leader for the mountain area. She worked with Airbnb.org and a local nonprofit, Hearts and Lives, to get evacuees credit on Airbnb to book stays.

"As a full-time mountain resident and host of 11 years, I was thrilled to be able to give back to my neighbors," Mead told the Daily Press. "The stories we heard were often heartbreaking, and being a small part of giving people a safe place for them, their children, pets and extended family felt so good."

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As of Sept. 26, no more evacuation orders are in effect for residents near the Line Fire. The San Bernardino National Forest has also issued a closure order for the " front country and mountaintop ranger districts " of the forest from Sept. 20 to Nov. 30, 2024.

McKenna Mobley is a Daily Press reporter and can be reached at mmobley@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Hundreds of evacuated residents, pets given free housing during Line Fire outbreak