An out-of-control wildfire in the foothills of a national forest east of Los Angeles threatened 10,000 structures and forced hundreds of residents to flee Sunday amid a multi-day heat wave of triple-digit temperatures.
The Line Fire was burning on the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) east of Los Angeles. As of Sunday morning, the fire has burned 70 square kilometers of grass and grass, leaving a black cloud of smoke covering the entire area.
The fire was so hot Saturday that it created its own weather systems like pyroculumus thunderclouds, which can bring challenging conditions like high winds and lightning, according to the National Weather Service. Firefighters also faced steep terrain, which made it difficult to control the fire, officials said. The fire was out of control on Sunday afternoon.
County officials, who declared a state of emergency Saturday evening, issued evacuation orders for Running Springs, Arrowbear Lake, areas east of Highway 330 and other counties.
A resident of Running Springs, Steven Michael King, said he planned to stay to put out the fire and help his neighbors until Sunday morning, when the fire intensified. He had prepared his house to prevent fire damage but decided to leave because he was afraid that the smoke might make him unable to find a way out later.
“Get off, what’s worse, getting stuck or staying in a shelter?” he said outside the outlet center on Sunday. When circumstances changed, I had to make a quick decision, just a few packs and they went into the shopping cart.
Joseph Escobedo said his family has lived in Angelus Oaks for about three years and has never had to evacuate because of a wildfire. His family, with three young children, were among the few left who had not left the area as of Sunday afternoon.
“It’s scary that you might lose your home and lose everything we’ve worked hard for,” said Escobedo as his family gathered important things to leave. “It’s hard to leave and not be sure if you’ll be able to come back.”
Arrowbear Lake resident Michael Lee said he left his home with his dog Saturday afternoon. Lee, a photographer, returned to retrieve the camera and did not arrive at the Highland evacuation center until nearly seven hours later.
“I want to go home,” Lee said as he sat in his car outside the evacuation center. “The triple digit weather here is bad.”
State firefighters said three firefighters were injured and more than 35,000 structures were threatened, including single and multi-family homes and commercial buildings. Thunderstorms expected later in the day could make it more difficult to contain the fire.
“Afternoon thunderstorms could cause new ignitions and impact operations around the fire,” state fire officials said in a Sunday morning update. “Hot and dry conditions mixed with thunderstorms are expected to challenge firefighters over the next few days.”
The affected area is near small mountain towns in the San Bernardino National Forest where Southern Californians ski in the winter and mountain bike in the summer. Running Springs is on the way to the famous ski resort town of Big Bear.
Joe Franco, who works at Noah’s Restaurant in downtown San Bernardino, said his friends in the surrounding exits were getting ready to leave quickly. Smoke from the fire has already blanketed the city of San Bernardino, Franco said.
“They just hang on and get their stuff ready to go,” Franco said of his friends. “Usually there are, but many people don’t come today.”
The fire caused the Redlands Unified School District to cancel classes on Monday for about 20,000 students.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in San Bernardino County Saturday night.
A small plant fire that started Sunday afternoon in Clearlake City, 117 kilometers north of San Francisco, was forcing about 4,000 people to go out and burn buildings. Officials said at least 30 homes and commercial buildings were burned. Firefighters said they were trying to contain the fire on Sunday afternoon.
More firefighters were expected to arrive in San Bernadino County on Sunday. Government officials said vegetation was extremely dry in the area and temperatures reached more than 100 degrees (39 degrees Celsius) on Saturday, with the right humidity for the fire to spread. The fire started on Thursday evening, and the cause is under investigation.
More than 600 firefighters were battling the blaze, supported by water-dropping helicopters hovering over homes and hills, as well as other aircraft, according to state fire officials. Cal Fire officials did not return calls Sunday seeking more information about the three injured firefighters.
The fire sent out thick clouds of smoke, and the flames could be seen running along the hills.
No houses or other structures were damaged or destroyed.
The National Weather Service said the city of Los Angeles reached a high of 112 degrees Fahrenheit (44 Celsius) on Friday, marking the third time since 1877 that such a high temperature has been reached there.
—Eugene Garcia and Trân NguyễnThe Associated Press
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