Crime & Safety
'Hellish' Wildfires Char 100K+ Acres, Destroy Homes, Force Evacuations
The Airport, Line And Bridge Fires exploded as heavy winds sent walls of flames through hillside communities.
CALIFORNIA — A perfect storm of wildfires exploded across Southern California Wednesday, turning picturesque mountain towns and foothill communities into a hellscape of flames and mass evacuations.
The Airport, Bridge and Line fires threatened more than 100,000 homes Wednesday and sent thousands fleeing to safety. As of Wednesday, the fires had burned more than 114,000 acres, sending thick plumes of ash and smoke across six counties.
Luck has not been with the firefighters.
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An extended heatwave with highs well above 100 degrees in the foothills and valleys finally broke Tuesday only to giveaway to high winds and red flag warnings through Wednesday. The heavy winds played a major role in the explosive growth of the three fires on Tuesday, sending walls of flames racing up steep canyons.
Flames from each fire have also menaced important hilltop communications equipment. San Bernardino's Line Fire impacted key radio towers on Keller Peak, including major communication channels for the fire incident, San Bernardino National Forest, and Alert California cameras.
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By Wednesday evening, the Airport Fire was showing signs of slowing down after boring down on Santiago Peak, which houses radio and television broadcast towers used by local media as well as federal and local government agencies.
According to the OCFA, crews were working to protect the peak but had to withdraw from the area due to intense flames.
Perhaps most significantly, however, the firefighting crews are stretched thin.
"As a region, our fire agencies are at drawdown with three major fires burning in Southern California: the Bridge Fire here in Los Angeles County, the Line Fire in San Bernadino County, and the Airport Fire in Orange County," said Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone. "These three simultaneous fires are stressing resources for the fire department, so we are asking for resources from Northern California and adjoining states."
The fires grew so quickly Tuesday — the Bridge Fire ended the day ten times bigger than it started, ultimately growing to more 50,258 acres — that the toll on lives and property is little known as of Wednesday. In the Bridge Fire, residents in the mountain community of Wrightwood had little time to evacuate before flames devoured homes and hillsides around Mountain High, the popular ski resort.
Alex Luna, a 20-year-old missionary, saw the sky turn from a cherry red to black in about 90 minutes as the explosive wildfire raced toward Wrightwood, and authorities implored residents to leave their belongings behind and get out of town.
“It was very, I would say, hellish-like,” Luna said Tuesday night. “It was very just dark. Not a good place to be at that moment. ... Ash was falling from the sky like if it was snowing.”
Luna was among those who heeded the evacuation order that was issued for the community of about 4,500 in the San Gabriel Mountains east of Los Angeles.
While it will take days or weeks to know the true toll of these catastrophic wildfires, authorities believe they already know what caused two of them.
The 36,000-acre Line Fire burning in the San Bernardino Mountains, threatening Running Springs, Big Bear and Angelus Oaks, was intentionally set, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department announced. Police on Tuesday arrested Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, of Norco on suspicion of arson on an inhabited structure, arson on forest land and possession of flammable material/arson device.
Humans are also to blame for the Airport Fire, which broke out in Orange County's Trabuco Canyon Monday and doubled in size Tuesday to 23,140 acres Wednesday, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
The blaze, which is threatening thousands of homes on both sides of the Santa Ana Mountains in Orange and Southwest Riverside County, was started by Orange County Public Works crews using heavy equipment to move boulders, fire investigators said. The intent was to prevent wildfires by blocking public access to the wilderness area amid extreme weather conditions.
SEE ALSO: 18 Images Show CA Wildfires Wreaking Havoc On State
Here is the latest on the biggest fires that are threatening life and property:
The Airport Fire broke out in Orange County on Trabuco Creek Road near the remote-controlled airplane airport in Trabuco Canyon at around 1:15 p.m. Monday, the Orange County Fire Authority reported.
The brush fire authorities said was unintentionally caused by county workers raged through the foothills Wednesday, jumping Ortega Highway to destroy multiple homes as it pressed from Orange County into Riverside County.
Thousands were forced to evacuate as the blaze threatened their communities.
The wildfire burned through 23,140 acres with five percent containment as of 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Cooler temperatures and denuded hillside were helping firefighters slow the fire immensely, resulting in a slower spread of the flames, authorities said.
"We got a lot of recovery [Tuesday] night because it cooled down," Fetterman said. "Last night, it was 60 degrees, so that helped us improve those containment lines. That containment is expected to grow in our next report."
The agency's new firehawk helicopters also have "made a tremendous impact," he said.
Orange County fire officials also reported that structures have been damaged or destroyed in the El Cariso, Long Canyon, Ortega Highway and CCC camp area. It was not immediately known how many buildings were consumed by the blaze.
Burn scars from the Holy Fire in 2018 and 2022 are providing much- needed breaks in the fuel for the blaze, Concialdi added.
"We can confirm that there were some homes damaged and destroyed in the communities around Ortega Highway," but details were still being collected, Concialdi said.
Wednesday morning, the flames had blackened more than 22,000 acres of steep canyons and hillsides, spreading evacuations southward in Riverside County in the Lake Elsinore area. A wide swath of Temescal Valley, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta and Temecula remained under threat. On Tuesday, authorities announced the fire had crossed into Riverside County, and by afternoon the flames jumped the Ortega Highway. See evacuation updates here.
See the latest on Orange County evacuations here.
There is five percent containment on the blaze as of Wednesday evening, according to CalFire.
Orange County Fire Authority investigators found that the cause of the Airport Fire was unintentional, caused by a spark from heavy equipment being used by two Public Works employees on Trabuco Creek Road earlier that day.
The equipment was being used to replace barriers out in the area to restore a pathway, Orange County Fire Authority Deputy Chief TJ McGovern said during a Monday news conference.
According to investigators, a spark from the equipment resulted in a fire that the two employees were unable to put out.
Several schools and roads are closed due to the blaze.
The Line Fire broke out at approximately 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5 near Base Line Road and Aplin Street in the San Bernardino County community of Highland. As of Wednesday evening, it had ripped through 36,481 acres with containment at 18%.
Fire officials said they were hopeful that an incoming shift in weather, with lower temps and higher humidity expected, would help fire crews gain a better foothold on the blaze.
Late Tuesday night, a 34-year-old Norco man was arrested on suspicion of intentionally setting the blaze. Read more here.
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Three firefighters have been injured battling the inferno, and thousands of residents are under evacuation orders and warnings, including in popular Southern California mountain resort communities such as Big Bear, Running Springs and Angelus Oaks. Several roads leading up to those destinations are closed due to the fire, and many schools are closed.
An update on the firefighter injuries was not immediately available. Crews are working in exceptionally challenging conditions due to the heat wave that sent temperatures well above the 100-degree mark and a red flag warning due to high winds.
Despite the fire's ferocity, crews have kept the blaze away from structures. On Wednesday morning, fire officials said the blaze destroyed a U.S. Forest Service lookout, and crews were investigating reports of one structure burned in the Running Springs area.
Cal Fire said crews were deployed around Big Bear to guard nearby communities as flames from a spot fire moved northeast toward the lake.
A wildfire burning in the San Gabriel Mountains has scorched nearly 50,258 acres as of Wednesday evening, and there is zero containment on the blaze. By Tuesday night, the blaze had torn through mountain communities destroying homes in the Mt. Baldy and Wrightwood areas and burning through Mountain High resort, live camera feeds from the resort showed.
Los Angeles County's Bridge Fire, which triggered evacuations and road closures, was reported around 3 p.m. Sunday near the area of East Fork and Glendora Mountain roads, according to the Angeles National Forest.
On Wednesday, the communities of Wrightwood, Pinoion Hills and Mt. Baldy were under evacuation orders, said Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone. In the San Gabriel foothills, communities in Upland, Claremont and San Antonio Heights were under evacuation warnings.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department had previously issued a mandatory evacuation order for the East Fork communities of Camp Williams and River Community and all residents north of San Antonio Dam up to the Mount Baldy Resort.
Read more about the Bridge Fire here.
Boone Fire
Firefighters have gained the upper hand on the 17,766-acre Boone Fire burning in Fresno County. The blaze broke out Sept. 3, and was 62 percent contained by Wednesday morning.
"The fire has mainly been creeping and smoldering in rugged terrain within the fire perimeter," Calfire officials wrote in a fire update Tuesday morning. "Crews continue suppression repair and work on establishing and strengthening control lines. Today, weather remains hot and dry with temperatures in the 90-degrees, though a slight cooling trend will occur in the fire area over the next several days with expected 35 mph wind gusts on Wednesday."
As of Wednesday, there were no reports of structure damage or injuries. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Boyles Fire
The Boyles Fire burning in Lake County broke out Sunday and burned 81 acres as of Wednesday morning, according to CalFire. It is 50 percent contained as of Wednesday morning.
Though small, the blaze has been destructive. As of Wednesday, it had destroyed more than 30 structures and 40 vehicles. Roughly 2,313 people had to be evacuated Sunday, and many were housed at the evacuation center at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown.
"Evacuation orders will remain in place for a minimum of 2 more days," the Lake County Fire Protection District announced Tuesday afternoon. "Before repopulation can occur the fire must be completely out, damaged PG&E infrastructure must be secured, and hazardous materials removed. There have been no injuries or fatalities reported at this time, and the cause is still under investigation."
Check here for up-to-date evacuation information on the Boyles Fire.
Roblar Fire
On Saturday, the Roblar Fire broke out at Camp Pendleton and quickly scorched nearly 1,000 acres. By Wednesday morning, firefighters had the blaze 85 percent contained.
There were no reports of injuries or structural damage, according to CalFire.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
Air Quality Concerns
The South Coast Air Quality Management District extended an air quality alert for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties due to increased fine particle pollution from wildfire smoke in the region and high smog (ozone) levels.
Smog levels are exacerbated by the heat wave and wildfire particulates.
Officials are urging residents to remain indoors with windows and doors closed and avoid rigorous physical activity.
As of Wednesday morning, large swaths of Southern California were covered by an “unhealthy” layer of air pollutants, with those closest to the Line Fire under “hazardous” conditions, according to the Air Quality Management District.
"Exposure to particle pollution can cause serious health problems, aggravate lung disease, cause asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and increase risk of respiratory infections. People with heart or lung diseases should follow their doctor's advice for dealing with episodes of unhealthy air quality.
"Additionally, people with respiratory or heart disease, older adults, and children are particularly susceptible and should avoid prolonged exposure, strenuous activities or heavy exertion as conditions dictate," according to the National Weather Service.
The Associated Press and Patch Staffer Toni McAllister contributed to this report.
* Correction: An earlier version of the story misstated where homes were destroyed. Homes in an unincorporated area of Lake Elsinore were destroyed by the fire.
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