Nearly all evacuations lifted in Bridge Fire after it became California's largest active wildfire
Nearly all evacuation orders and warnings have been lifted for communities in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties affected by the Bridge Fire, which recently became the largest actively burning wildfire in California.
Firefighters have made significant progress putting out the blaze since it sparked on the afternoon of Sept. 8 in the San Gabriel Canyon area of Los Angeles County, near East Fork Road and Glendora Mountain Road. Five injuries have been reported while the fire destroyed 81 structures and damaged another 17, according to a Saturday update from Cal Fire, or the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Authorities have not said how many of the burned buildings are homes.
It's now 81% contained after burning 54,878 acres in the Angeles National Forest and nearby communities, Cal Fire said Tuesday.
The only mandatory evacuation order still in place is for Mile High, a sparsely populated area with about four to six ranches, authorities said. Some evacuation warnings still remain in place.
U.S. Forest Service officials announced Friday that several roads and recreational areas within the Angeles National Forest including in Mt. Baldy, Wrightwood and East Fork will remain closed through the end of this year to help recovery of the landscape.
Earlier this month, the wildfire grew rapidly as it spread from Los Angeles to San Bernardino County, forcing thousands of people to flee from their homes as residents of communities such as Wrightwood and Mt. Baldy faced mandatory evacuations. On Sept. 10, just two days after it started, the fire exploded from 4,000 acres to 34,000 acres within just a few hours, according to Cal Fire.
Some people were caught off guard as they rushed to get out. Video shows authorities driving through an evacuated community, blaring a message over a loud speaker telling people to leave.
"There was no evacuation warning," said Leah Potter, one of the residents in the area. "We just had to run for our lives."
Gino Lewis, another evacuee, said he also had not yet received a warning.
"We knew the fire was close and everything but we hadn't even gotten a notice yet," Lewis said. "I just grabbed my cat, and as much as I could ... I got out of there as soon as I could."
By then, two other major wildfires were burning in other parts of Southern California — the Line Fire and the Airport Fire.
The next day, on Sept. 11, LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said he was requesting assistance from Northern California and other states while Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for both the Bridge Fire and Airport Fire. The National Guard was deployed and federal assistance secured from FEMA.
Firefighters struggled with hot, dry conditions that fueled the blaze and containment remained at 0% for the first five days. On Sept. 14, containment inched up for the first time to 3%, according to Cal Fire. Conditions continued to improve as mandatory evacuation orders were later lifted and downgraded to voluntary warnings, allowing many residents to finally return home.
By Saturday, voluntary evacuation warnings — which allow people to go back to their homes but warn them to remain ready to evacuate — were lifted for Mt. Baldy Village and Wrightwood.
The Mile High area is the only place still under a mandatory evacuation order as of Saturday while warnings remain for Bear Canyon and the East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort and the nearby River Community.
Ahead of the weekend, the threat of thunderstorms had put authorities on high alert and some fire crews took shelter since there was a possibility of lightning strikes in an area of the fire. But those thunderstorms did not end up happening and progress continued.
"Today, firefighters will continue mop-up efforts across the fire, securing containment lines, extinguishing isolated heat sources, and felling hazardous trees to improve public and crew safety," the Angeles National Forest said in an update Saturday.
People returning to their homes in the area of the wildfire and anyone else entering were told to return any fire equipment they find to San Bernardino County Fire Station 14, located at 5980 Elm St. in Wrightwood.
The latest evacuation orders, warnings and road closures as of Saturday can be found here and here is a map of evacuations.
More recovery information for San Bernardino County residents can be found here while LA County residents can visit here.
An assistance center, where people can get help with things like food and housing aid, cleanup efforts and replacing important documents will be open on Saturday, Sept. 21, and Monday, Sept. 23 at the following location:
The Way World Outreach, Hallmark Campus
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 23, 2024 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
4680 Hallmark Parkway
San Bernardino, CA 92407
For those affected by the Bridge Fire or any other recent Southern California wildfires, a full guide to resources can be found here.