Just got back from a recon trip to Yucaipa area. Road block on 38 at Bryant by CHP. Only residents allowed further up the mountain. Drove south on 38 into Mentone/Redlands area. passed Amethyst St. only thing I saw was a pumper loading up with water at a hydrant. No evidence of fire of any kind in that area. The smoke is bad at the lower elevations. [I am at 3000ft, so above the smoke] I could of course see the fire on the mts above SB to the west just a matter of miles away. Folks...the pics on TV and even the great pics posted here cannot convey the magnitude of this fire here in SB. I have lived in this area for 30 years and have seen my share of brush fires, even had to evac myself once due to a fire, but they were
nothing, repeat nothing compared to this. Most fires in this area knocked down in a day maybe two, for this to burn for this long with no near end in sight and the danger to Lake Arrowhead, with resorts, huge expensive homes, schools, whole mountain communities is hard to convey in words. The fire is monsterous. The dead trees are the major problem. Imagine a mountain range covered in pine, fir trees and then imagine 60-70 percent of them dead, but still standing. This goes on for not just acres, but miles and miles. Huge brown patches on the mountain sides. I know the other areas of SoCal are in bad shape, this is just a little info from my neck of the woods..pardon the pun.
Red