Photo: DAVID SWANSON / AFP / Getty Images
SAN GABRIEL CANYON (CNS) - Firefighters Saturday continue to battle the Bridge Fire that spread from San Gabriel Canyon above Glendora into San Bernardino County, authorities said.
As of Saturday morning, the fire was estimated at 52,960 acres with 3% containment, primarily on the southwestern flank, according to CalFire.
"The north flank of the fire is the number one priority in halting acreage growth, as well as continuing structure protection in Pion Hills, Wrightwood and Mount Baldy Village," according to a Friday update from incident commanders. "On the northeast flank, the top priority is to keep the fire out of Lytle Creek. With a total of 15 helicopters assigned to this incident including four from the National Guard, aviation crews plan to focus on dropping water and fire retardant heavily in the northwest flank where the fire is currently the most active."
Fire officials said humidity is still low in higher elevations, but in lower elevations, the marine layer and higher humidity were helping crews make "great progress in strengthening both primary and secondary containment lines in the southeast, south and southwest flanks of the fire, while also gaining depth in their mop-up operations."
The Incident Management Team has scheduled a public meeting at 6 p.m. at Serrano High School Performing Arts Center, 9292 Sheep Creek Road in Phelan that will be live streamed on the Angeles National Forest Facebook page.
The blaze began at 3 p.m. Sunday near East Fork and Glendora Mountain roads, according to officials with the Angeles National Forest. The fire initially remained relatively small, but it exploded in size at the tail end of an extended heat wave on Tuesday, destroying dozens of structures as it marched into San Bernardino County.
The fire is the largest active fire in the state.
Evacuation orders remained in effect for:
-- the entire community of Wrightwood;
-- Highway 138 south to Lone Pine Canyon and Highway 2 east to Lone Pine Canyon Road;
-- Lone Pine Canyon from the community of Wrightwood to Highway 138/Lone Pine Canyon Road south to the forest;
-- East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort (cafe, mobile home park, campground) and River Community (near the resort); and
-- Mt. Baldy Road, North Mountain Avenue and Shinn Roads from San Antonio Heights to Wrightwood and east to Cucamonga Peak.
A mandatory evacuation order that had been in place in the area of Highway 18 south to Highway 138 and Beekley Road west to the Los Angeles County line was downgraded to a warning.
Evacuation warnings were in effect for the general areas of:
-- Phelan from Highway 138 east to Baldy Mesa Road and Phelan Road south to Sayle Road;
-- San Antonio Heights and Upland from the foothills south to 23rd Street;
-- Pinon Hills from Wrightwood north to Highway 138 and Lebec Road west to Los Angeles County.
Evacuation warnings were lifted Friday in the communities of Baldwin Lake and Lake Williams from Highway 38 north to Highway 18 and Baldwin Lake East, and in the area of Phelan Road south to Forest Route 3N24 and Baldy Mesa Road west to Tumbleweed Road.
Road closures were in effect at the following locations:
-- SR-138 from Lone Pine Canyon Road to Beekley Road;
-- SR-2 closed from Big Pines to SR-138;
-- Big Pines Highway;
-- Big Rock Creek Road;
-- San Gabriel Canyon and East Fork of the San Gabriel River;
-- Highway 39;
-- East Fork Road;
-- Glendora Ridge Road;
-- Glendora Mountain Road; and
-- Mount Baldy Road at Shinn Road intersection.
An evacuation center was established at the Jessie Turner Center, 15556 Summit Ave., in Fontana.
Other evacuation centers are at:
-- San Bernardino County Fairgrounds: 14800 Seventh St., Victorville; and
-- Pomona Fairplex: 601 W McKinley Ave., Pomona (Enter Gate 3, corner of McKinley and White).
Animal evacuation centers are at:
-- Devore Animal Shelter (pets/livestock): 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino. Call 909-386-9820, or after hours: 800-472-5609;
-- Palmdale Animal Care Center (small animals): 38550 Sierra Highway, Palmdale;
-- Lancaster Animal Care Center (small animals): 5210 W. Ave. I, Lancaster;
-- Antelope Valley Fairgrounds (large animals): 2551 W. Ave. H, Lancaster. Call 562-706-8581 prior to arrival.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said that as of Wednesday morning, the fire had destroyed about 20 homes in the Mount Baldy area, 13 homes in the Wrightwood area and six cabins in the wilderness areas affected by the blaze. There was no more recent update on the number of structures destroyed.
Marrone said no significant injuries were reported and no deaths.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna Wednesday said an off-duty sheriff's deputy and two people with him in the fire zone were trapped by the flames near the Mount Baldy area. He said they were not injured and all three people were safely evacuated from the area about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and treated for minor injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Although the flames advanced on Mountain High Ski Resort, officials at the popular destination posted on social media Wednesday that "all the main lifts and buildings survived with little to no damage."
The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended an air quality advisory until at least 11 p.m. Friday for Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties due to smoke from three major wildfires burning in the region.
The cause of the Bridge Fire has not been determined.