Posted on 10/22/2007 9:59:31 AM PDT by Smogger
9:03 a.m.: Fires in Lake Arrowhead prompt evacuations
By Stacia Glenn
LAKE ARROWHEAD - Two fires are raging in the mountains, forcing hundreds of people from their homes. A wildfire started at 5 a.m. in Grass Valley just north of Lake Arrowhead and has burned more than 100 acres. Mandatory evacuations are in place for Deer Lodge Park, north of Aleutian Drive; and all streets north of Brentwood Drive.
There are voluntary evacuations for North Lake Arrowhead, along Grass Valley Road, Twin Peaks and Rim Forest.
A second fire, dubbed the Slide Fire, broke out in Green Valley Lake, where there is also a mandatory evacuation.
All highways west of Big Bear Dam are closed.
9:27 a.m.: Fire ecologist: Wind stirred Butler II fire
By George Watson
UCR Riverside Prof. Richard Minnich said it appears the Butler II wildfire has restarted because of the winds. "It looks like there are two prongs moving southwest," Minnich said. "One is by (Big Bear )Dam, and the other is near Green Valley Lake where the fire stopped before."
Making his assessments by viewing satellite imagery, Minnich said he is particularly concerned about Running Springs. Wind could push it through the footprint of the 1970 Bear Fire, Minnich said, and then on to that community.
"If it reaches Running Springs, that whole town is in trouble," he said.
With so many fires burning throughout Southern California today, Minnich added, "Hundreds of homes are going to burn today. Right now, the issue is the firefighters are spread too thinly."
(Excerpt) Read more at dailybulletin.com ...
Yeah. I am watching that footage. They are REALLY REALLY high up. You can see much below the smoke, and I doubt they can do much in the way of air drops from that distance.
Isn’t the Reagan Ranch and Library in San Bernardino?
God help them- the firefighters are stretched beyond the limits, and these fires seem to pop up and then explode all over the place- impossible to get a handle on it/them.
Neither is in San Bernardino County. The Reagan Ranch is about 10 miles west of Goleta (Santa Barbara County). The fire in Santa Barbara County is near a place called Sedgewick Ranch and it 10+ miles away from the Rancho Cielo. The Reagan Presidential Library is in Simi Valley, northwestern Los Angeles County. There are fires about 15 miles away from the Library (Malibu), and it is not in danger at this time.
” “Why don’t they have controlled burns before the Santa Ana winds whip up?
I don’t know much about the area but if you know what is going to happen, why not try some preemptive action?” “
You’re talking about an area the size of Georgia or bigger. Where would we start? We don’t know where the fires will be. All of So California is brush.
Watching on Fox 11 News. House after house is just going up in Arrowhead. Not a water dropper in sight.
San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger, in a televised interview, said he would not disagree with reports from a TV helicopter reporter that more than 70 homes had burned in the Grass Valley area west of Lake Arrowhead.
"I wouldn’t dispute that number, and there are a large number of homes still in the path of the fire," he told KABC-TV.
Helicopter views of the Grass Valley neighborhood showed numerous homes burned to the ground. More could be seen fully involved in flames.
Hansberger said his tour of the area this morning showed that efforts over recent years to reduce brush around homes had helped firefighters protect some homes, especially in the Deer Lodge park area north of Lake Arrowhead.
The worst devastation appears to be along Brentwood, which winds along the edge of the Lake Arrowhead Country Club.
Hansberger said the flames ran into the neighborhood along the Grass Valley Creek drainage, which runs into the middle of the community en route to the small Grass Valley Lake.
--The Press-Enterprise
NO! Santa Barbara
Latest from Rim of the World
All Mountain Roads Closed (updated)
Update: 1:40 PM
Crestline - The California Highway Patrol has closed all mountain roadways, including Highway 18, 330, 138, and 173, to non-emergency upbound traffic. Evacuees are being sent to the Orange Show Fairgrounds, 689 S. E St. San Bernardino, CA, 92408. Animal Control is establishing an emergency evacuation center for animals at Wildwood Park at 40th Street and Waterman in San Bernardino.
Highway 18 is closed between Big Bear Dam and Running Springs and in Rimforest.
“Rim of the World USD schools will continue to be closed on Tuesday, October 23 and Wednesday, October 24 due to the fires in our school district,” said Ron Peavy, Interim Superintendent, this afternoon.
Fires Burn 1,000 to 2,000 Acres Between Lake Arrowhead and Green Valley Lake
Update 2:23 PM
Lake Arrowhead - According to the latest estimates, between 1,000 and 2,000 acres of brush and timber. Nearly 2,000 homes are threatened in the area, and between 50 and 70 have been lost according to news reports.
Grass Valley Fire
According to reports, the voluntary evacuation has been extended to Crestline.
Evacuations have been ordered for parts of Grass Valley, Trinity Tract, Modoc, Dear Lodge, Black Oaks Drive, and Brentwood in Lake Arrowhead. A mandatory evacuation has been ordered for the Twin Peaks area. There are reports of large “milk carton sized” embers falling in the Twin Peaks area.
There is a small spot fire reported at Brentwood and Riveria on the Country Club property. Firefighters are still trying to gain access.
Shortly before 1 PM, the fire was reported near Fairway and Eldorado. At 1:45, we received reports of structures on fire along Ranger Road. Firefighter are concerned about the fire spreading past that point into the Twin Peaks area. Firefighters are also reporting water pressure problems near Sonoma and Black Oak.
There are multiple reports of structures on fire on Brentwood and Pinehurst in Lake Arrowhead and near Grass Valley Golf Course. Accoring to television news reports, between 30 and 70 homes have been lost. Earlier today residents called 9-1-1 reporting that their homes are on fire. Dispatchers could only them to evacuate. At the time, there were insufficient fire fighting resources in the area to extinguish the structure fires. At 9:45 AM, a flare up was reported in the Deer Lodge Park area sending up a large smoke plume. At 9:53 AM, a resident reported fire at the rear of residences along the 26000-block of Amador Lane in Lake Arrowhead with no firefighters nearby. Firefighters near Amador and Trinity were driven back by the fire and had to retreat to a safe zone. The fire is crossing Brentwood as of 10:03 AM. The next threat is to Sandalwood.
Grass Valley Road is closed at Five Points. Many roads are blocked in the area due to downed power lines and tree. Downed phone lines are preventing residents from being notified of the evacuations from the automated TENS calling system.
The fire was first reported shortly after 5 AM.
Green Valley Lake
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for Green Valley Lake, Arrowbear Lake, Cedar Ridge Estate, and Running Springs.
At 10:05 AM, firefighters report at least three structures burning in the Green Valley Lake area in the Slide Fire. According to reports from the San Bernardino Sun, three homes were lost on Holcomb Creek Drive. It is not known where the fourth home was lost. Another 400 homes are threatened in the Green Valley Lake Area.
A pair of fires were reported shortly after 8 AM. The fires have very quickly grown to be between 75 and 100 acres. One fire was reported to be approximatly 1 mile in on Forest Service Road 2N13. The fire was reported to be about 1/2 acre in size. The second fire was reported at Deep Creek and Green Valley Lake Rd.
Rimforest Fire
Update 1:46 PM
A fire was reported in Rimforest near Scenic and Valley View. The fire was reported to be about 1/2 acre with a slow rate of spread. The fire appeared to be inside the area of Sunday’s fire. Firefighters quickly knocked down this fire and finished mop up operations shortly before 1:30 PM.
U.S. Forest Service spokesman John Miller said that the Slide Fire is now at 1,500 acres. -- Jason Pesick
I saw smoke this morning thinking it was from the Lake Arrowhead fire, but it turned out to be from the Devore fire less than 20 miles "as the crow flies" away from me.
I was at the Reagan Library yesterday when the Santa Rosa Valley fire started. They got that one out fast. The wind was blowing so hard that I nearly was knocked over in the parking lot. And I’m a big guy.
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