ReportWire

Tag: containment

  • California’s heat wave to come ‘roaring back’ this weekend

    California’s heat wave to come ‘roaring back’ this weekend

    Daily temperature records around California continued to be set this week as an unusual October heat wave broiled the state and stymied firefighters’ efforts to get blazes in Southern California under control.

    Though the current heat wave peaked on Wednesday, the outlook going into the weekend doesn’t bring much relief, according to the National Weather Service. It will cool between 4 and 8 degrees Thursday across the Southland but still remain warmer than average for this time of year.

    “Hot temperatures will come roaring back Saturday,” the Weather Service’s Oxnard office said in a Thursday morning forecast. “This heat wave will not be as severe as the last few days but will still be warm enough to justify the excessive heat watches for the valleys and mountains.”

    In the last two days, daily heat records have fallen across the state.

    On Wednesday, it reached 111 degrees in Woodland Hills, breaking the previous record of 109 degrees set in 1991. At Palmdale Airport, it was 105 degrees, eclipsing the old record of 101 degrees set in 2020. Inland, temperatures reached 110 degrees at Lake Elsinore, breaking its record of 106 degrees set in 2012.

    In Central California, Fresno Yosemite International Airport set a daily record Wednesday when it reached 102 degrees, breaking its previous record of 101 set in 1980.

    In Northern California, several daily heat records were broken Wednesday, including at Stockton airport where it reached 105, breaking its old record of 101 set in 1952. And in Modesto, it reached 104, breaking the previous record of 99 degrees set in 2012.

    Amid the summer-like temperatures, firefighters in Southern California have been working to halt three wildfires that broke out weeks earlier.

    Among the most challenging has been the Line fire in the San Bernardino National Forest, where containment peaked at 83% on Sunday before the fire raced out of control and sparked more evacuations as containment dropped. Crews have been working to regain control of the fire, and containment has inched back up to 79% as of Thursday morning. The fire has scorched 43,922 acres.

    The other major blazes in the area — the Bridge and the Airport fires — were 98% and 96% contained as of Thursday morning, respectively, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

    Joseph Serna

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  • Line fire flare-up tips California over a grim milestone: 1 million acres burned in 2024

    Line fire flare-up tips California over a grim milestone: 1 million acres burned in 2024

    The flare-up of the Line fire worsened Monday as evacuation orders expanded and firefighters lost some ground on containment of the San Bernardino County wildfire.

    The new acres charred also pushed California across a grim milestone: 1 million acres burned in 2024.

    The Line fire, which has been burning in San Bernardino County for almost a month, began spreading faster over the weekend due to abnormally warm temperatures that sucked moisture from vegetation and the air, according to Cal Fire. Containment of the fire slipped from 83% to 78% as of late Monday.

    “Firefighters had expected some movement” of the fire, but its behavior “exceeded expectations,” said Cal Fire in a Monday update.

    The Red Cross opened a new evacuation shelter at Apple Valley Conference Center on Monday to support those affected by the Line fire, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The center is at 14975 Dale Evans Parkway. The evacuation shelter at Redlands East Valley High School, 31000 E. Colton Ave., remained open.

    The Line fire has now burned a total of 43,459 acres — which along with previous fires, including the ongoing Bridge and Airport fires — has pushed the total acres burned in California this year to 1,000,181 as of late Monday, according to Cal Fire.

    This surpasses by far the total acres burned during the same time period last year — 293,362 — but is roughly on par with the five-year average for the period.

    The devastating Park fire in Northern California contributed significantly to the milestone, burning almost 430,000 acres between July 24 and Sept. 26 when it reached full containment. It is the fourth-largest fire in California history, according to Cal Fire.

    So far this fire season, a total of 1,433 structures have been destroyed, and one fatality has been reported, the agency said.

    The Line fire has damaged or destroyed five structures and resulted in four firefighter injuries. The suspected arson fire started on Sept. 5, and an arrest has been made.

    On Sunday, residents in Seven Oaks and the Barton Flats area were ordered to evacuate because of the immediate threat of the fire. On Monday this order was expanded to include Angelus Oaks and the community of Big Bear Lake, including Moonridge, Sugarloaf and south Erwin Lake.

    Clara Harter

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  • Vista fire scorches more than 2,700 acres in San Bernardino National Forest

    Vista fire scorches more than 2,700 acres in San Bernardino National Forest

    The Vista fire continued to burn in the San Bernardino National Forest Thursday, covering more than 2,700 acres as of that morning, officials announced.

    About 500 firefighters are battling the blaze, which ignited Sunday around 1 p.m. on the south side of Lytle Creek and soon threatened the Mount Baldy area, including its nearly 100-year-old resort, U.S. Forest Service officials said. Portions of the Pacific Crest Trail were closed, in addition to trails below the resort.

    Hundreds of people were evacuated from nearby recreational areas, said Nathan Judy of the U.S. Forest Service. An estimated 416 structures were threatened by the flames.

    Firefighters reported no containment of the blaze as of Thursday morning, with a community meeting scheduled for Lytle Creek residents at 6 p.m. at the Lytle Creek Community Center, park officials said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

    Mount Baldy is the highest point in Los Angeles County and boasts some of the most iconic trails in the region, including the 10-mile loop that climbs up Devil’s Backbone.

    The resort will be closed Friday but might be able to reopen over the weekend, officials said in a Thursday afternoon update.

    “We are not 100% in the clear just yet, but it appears that the greater Mt. Baldy area has dodged a bullet,” the resort said.

    The fire almost doubled in size overnight from Wednesday, with fire crews working to build containment and contingency lines, according to officials. Low humidity, high temperatures and windy conditions continued to fuel the blaze.

    “The complex terrain, hot weather and winds, combined with hazards such as falling dead trees and rolling material, make control of this fire a challenge,” Operations Section Chief Scott Grasmick said in a Forest Service update.

    Summer Lin

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