Rumors Fly That Drivers Stranded By Blue Cut Fire Were Price Gouged

DEVORE  (CBSLA.com) —  The Blue Cut fire has some folks seeing red.

The fire has scorched more than 25,000 acres and wreaked havoc on traffic all over the Southland.

KCAL9's Stacey Butler reports some drivers stranded and forced to find shelter in local hotels and motels while they waited out the fire fight had trouble finding lodging.

"It was one of the first ones we saw, 'cause it was high up. There were plenty of rooms," said driver Isaac Aponte from Florida.

Aponte and his wife were on their way to Big Bear Lake when they got stranded. They were lucky to find a room at one of three motels in Devore.

Many others had to keep driving.

"They are sold out right now, so we are looking for a different hotel right now," said one woman.

For the second day in a row, cars were being diverted off the northbound 15 Freeway and sent along the 215 south.

The motels in Devore were full.

"I wasn't gonna chance getting stuck in the fire on any alternate route so. So I just decided to stay one more night," said Mark Carver of Hesperia.

People who are lucky enough to have found rooms say they are paying the standard rate.

There were rampant rumors of price gouging.

"I heard some of them were as high as $ 3-4 hundred dollars," said driver Ted Colucci ."It's pretty cruel of hotel owners to do that if that was the case."

Butler couldn't independently confirm the gouging rumors but the San Bernardino District Attorney's Office was concerned enough to send out an email and tweet asking if anyone's been the victim of gouging to contact them.

The CHP reopened the 15 northbound around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.