News from Rim of the World:
http://www.rimoftheworld.net/
All Mountain Roads Closed
Update: 12:40 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.
Highway 18 is closed between Big Bear Dam and Running Springs and in Rimforest.
Rimforest Fire
Update 12:57 PM
A fire has been reported in Rimforest near Scenic and Valley View. The fire is about 1/2 acre with a slow rate of spread. The fire appears to be inside the area of Sunday’s fire.
Crest Forest Fire Department is unable to respond to threatened structures within their jurisdiction, however it is not clear from the scanner chatter where the threat is occurring.
Homes Lost in Lake Arrowhead Area
Update 1:15 PM
Lake Arrowhead - Shortly before 1 PM, the fire was reported near Fairway and Eldorado. 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, at least 30 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.
1,500 residences are threatened in the Lake Arrowhead area, according to officials.
Evacuations have been ordered for parts of Grass Valley, Trinity Tract, Modoc, Dear Lodge, Black Oaks Drive, and Brentwood in Lake Arrowhead. A voluntary evacuation has been ordered for the Twin Peaks area. There are reports of large “milk carton sized” embers falling in the Twin Peaks area.
The fire is burning in the old wood chipping area along Highway 173 and spreading westward. Structure protection task forces are in the Brentwood, Sanoma, and Trinity areas of Lake Arrowhead.
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.
As of 9 AM, the fire was reported to be about 200 acres in size with a rapid rate of spread and no containment. It is burning to the northwest side of Grass Valley Road and the northwest side of Edge Cliff Drive near the power plant area, according to scanner reports. The fire is well established in an inaccessible area of the Grass Valley drainage. The fire was first reported shortly after 5 AM.
Green Valley
Good report. This is going to be a total disaster. I can’t remember when the last time they closed ALL Mountain roads. The County/CDF can’t get any air resources in to even ESTIMATE how many acres have burned. Anyone who has been to Arrowhead can tell you the whole thing could go up.
I would blame the news media for focusing all of their coverage on Malibu, but they probably can’t even get any choppers over to look at the Arrowhead area, due to wind.