Nearly all evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted for communities in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties affected by the Bridge Fire, which recently became the largest active wildfire in California.
Firefighters have significant progress has been made extinguishing the fire since it started on the afternoon of Sept. 8 in the San Gabriel Canyon area of Los Angeles County, near East Fork Road and Glendora Mountain Road. Five injuries were reported as the blaze destroyed 81 structures and damaged another 17, according to an update Saturday from Cal Fire, or the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Authorities did not say how many of the burned structures were homes.
Cal Fire reported Saturday that the fire is now 65% contained after 140,000 acres (54,795 hectares) burned in the Angeles National Forest and nearby communities.
The only mandatory evacuation order still in effect is for Mile High, a sparsely populated area with about four to six ranches, authorities said. Some evacuation warnings are still in effect.
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U.S. Forest Service officials announced Friday that several roads and recreation areas in the Angeles National Forest, including Mt. Baldy, Wrightwood and East Fork, will remain closed through the end of the year to promote landscape restoration.
Earlier this month, the wildfire quickly expanded as it spread from Los Angeles to San Bernardino County, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes as residents in communities like Wrightwood and Mt. Baldy faced mandatory evacuations. On September 10, just two days after it started, the fire broke out exploded from 4,000 acres to 34,000 acres within a few hours, Cal Fire said.
Some people were surprised as they raced to get away. Video footage shows authorities driving through an evacuated community, blasting a message over a loudspeaker asking people to leave.
“There was no evacuation warning,” said Leah Potter, one of the residents in the area. “We just had to run for our lives.”
Gino Lewis, another evacuee, said he also had not received any warning.
“We knew the fire was close and everything, but we didn’t even have a warning,” Lewis said. “I just grabbed my cat and as much as I could … I got out of there as fast as I could.”
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By then there were two others There were huge forest fires raging in other parts of Southern California — the Line Fire And the airport fire.
The next day, on September 11, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said he was requesting assistance from Northern California and other states, while Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for both the bridge fire and the airport fire. The National Guard was deployed and federal assistance was secured from FEMA.
Firefighters struggled with the hot, dry conditions that fueled the blaze, and containment remained at 0% for the first five days. On Sept. 14, containment rose to 3% for the first time, according to Cal Fire. Conditions continued to improve as mandatory evacuation orders were later lifted and reduced to voluntary warnings, allowing many residents to finally return home.
On Saturday, voluntary evacuation warnings — which allow people to return to their homes but warn them to be ready to evacuate — were lifted for Mt. Baldy Village and Wrightwood.
The Mile High area is the only place where an evacuation order remains in effect Saturday, while warnings are in effect for Bear Canyon and the East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort and nearby River Community.
Before the weekend, the threat of thunderstorms had put authorities on high alert, with some firefighters seeking shelter as there was a possibility of lightning strikes in an area where the fire was burning. But the storms failed to materialize, and work continued.
“Today, firefighters continue to mop up the fire, secure containment lines, extinguish isolated heat sources and remove hazardous trees to improve public and firefighter safety,” the Angeles National Forest said in an update Saturday.
People returning home to the area where the wildfire was, and anyone who entered, were asked to bring any fire equipment they found back to San Bernardino County Fire Station 14, located at 5980 Elm St. in Wrightwood.
The latest evacuation orders, warnings and road closures through Saturday can be found here.
More information about recovery for San Bernardino County residents can be found here . LA County residents can go here .
On Saturday, September 21 and Monday, September 23, a help center will be open at the following location, where people can get help with things like food and housing, cleaning, and replacing important documents:
The Way World Outreach, Hallmark Campus
Saturday September 21, 2024 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Monday September 23, 2024 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
4680 Hallmark Parkway
San Bernardino, CA 92407
For those affected by the bridge fire or other recent wildfires in Southern California, a full guide to resources can be found here.
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