Eleven Days and Counting: California's Largest Wildfire Continues to Spread
On Thursday, the Bridge fire’s impact expanded when the Mount Baldy Village evacuation order was expanded from San Antonio Heights to Wrightwood and farther east, and to Cucamonga Peak, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The National Guard and local law enforcement have evacuated residents and established perimeters blocking access to affected areas.
On Friday, “firefighters made great progress on the ground, aided by aircraft to attack the fire aggressively 24 hours per day. Crews continued to be engaged with structure defense in the communities of Wrightwood, Piñon Hills, and Mount Baldy,” according to a statement released by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Conditions were favorable as firefighters flanked and backed the blaze to Mt Baldy Road, holding the line on the west side of the road to protect the communities of Mount Baldy Village, including the Icehouse Canyon area.
Thirteen structures were destroyed in the Wrightwood area. Infrastructure was also affected, and at least 20 additional homes were devastated in Mount Baldy. The Bridge Fire is currently at 37% containment, with 11,560 structures threatened, and nearing 55,000 acres burned. Three firefighters have already been injured in the blaze.
Power lines were affected in devastated areas, with Edison working to resolve the issues. As of Sunday morning, it was confirmed that 58 structures were damaged or destroyed. Gov. Gavin Newsom released the Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) External Link from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), providing more resources for the Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. “California is deploying every available resource to combat these devastating fires, and we'll continue to work in lockstep with federal and local partners in this herculean effort," Newsom said.
Speaking to local residents, Michele Olson of the Mount Baldy community spoke on the frustrations of enduring the effects of these fires at the Mount Baldy Lodge restaurant, a gathering point for firefighters and local residents who did not evacuate. Olson said, “Another fire happens and then they never get the answer to the last fire, but every time there's people that leave unattended campfires or people with charcoal barbecues and they come up here - that's arson. If they leave it, and they dump their coals out and walk away, that's arson. There's a big problem with people not taking care of the surrounding area.” Olson never fully evacuated but sought shelter at a local ski resort during the worst parts of the fire.
Upon being asked why she and others didn’t fully evacuate, she said, “Well, they asked us to leave, but they can't force us to leave. We can stay; they physically cannot pull you out of your house. If you want to stay in your flaming burning house that's your choice. I have cats to feed in the village.” Multiple pets were seen roaming the streets around the empty homes and fire crews, as many residents were not able to access their homes after evacuation orders and the enacted perimeters blocked access to their homes. Olson commented on this situation, stating “You know, I've got people that I'm in contact with asking me to please check in on their animals, so I've been doing that.” The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Multiple residents at the lodge also voiced frustration with the local fire department for not taking more preventative actions against fire, and with the lack of support from Governor Newsom.
On Friday morning, Mountain High Resort employees turned on snow-makers to combat flames and help save the ski resort buildings. Firefighters continue to clean up hotspots as they flare up and hold the fire lines, as crews continue to make “great progress.” On Saturday, fire crews deployed dozers and hand crews, strengthening existing and new fire lines with additional backup secondary lines, while also fighting a new blaze that began in the Lytle Creek area.
2,622 personnel have come together to fight the Bridge fire. At least 32 engines, 15 water tenders, 10 helicopters, 28 dozers, and 36 hand crews have come together to fight this fire. Fire crews from across California have come to Southern California to fight the recent surge in fires. Misty Calvo and Matt Carazolez, part of fire engine 2561, who had previously been fighting the Park Fire, drove 10 hours down from Chico to join the fight. They explained that firefighters are currently working 24-hour shifts on and 24-hour shifts off, sometimes working 48 hours on call if needed. They expressed optimism about the current state of the fire’s condition while fighting back a blaze on a hillside, which saved Table Mountain Campground near Big Pines. Angeles National Forest held a public meeting on Monday, September 16 at Lytle Creek Community Center, 14082 Center Rd., San Bernardino, CA at 7:00 p.m. The meeting was posted on the Angeles NF Fire Info YouTube channel (YouTube External Link Page) revealing that most of the North Eastern and Southern flanks have been extinguished as firefighters make progress around the eastern and western edges.