Line Fire in SoCal

[Bill B]

The Line Fire has been burning for almost 3 days here in SoCal.  It started at the bottom of the mountain in Highland.  With the hot weather the Fire has been unpredictable. I woke up yesterday and the fire was 7000+ acres and it grew by almost 1000 acres an hour during the day.  The fire layed down over night and only grew about 400 acres, mostly to the north and east.  Mandatory evacuations were ordered for Running Springs and Little Bear.  Apparently heavy smoke has prevented any heavy tankers from working the fire here, but they are being used on the Roblar Fire on Camp Pendleton near San Diego.  I'm under an Evacuation Warning right now, as is most of the mountain.  The Line Fire's western perimeter is about 10 miles away.  This fire is being fought mostly on the ground with hand crews from all over.  Around 1900hrs last night there was a long line of emergency responders headed up the mountain.

We are ready to go if the conditions change.  I will update as things progress.  Bill

[Keta]

Too close Bill.

[pjstevko]

Bill that fire is now the top priority fire in the nation so they'll get all the resources and aircraft they need to help slow/stop the progression.

Let me know if there's anything I can do to help.

PJ

[Bill B]

Just got back from the mountain rim. Very smokey but it doesn't seemed to have changed much from last night. Visibility was about 4 miles and the wind started up clearing the smoke out. Hopefully we get a good rain this afternoon and the heavy tankers can go to work.  It's disappointing watching them fly south when they are needed here.

Stay tuned. Bill

[Bill B]

Here's a picture someone took yesterday. 

[Bill B]

A few more photographs I found

[Swami805]

Stay safe Bill

[Donnyboat]

yes stay safe man, n thanks for the pictures, cheers don.

[Crab Pot]

Those pictures are crazy.

Do you live on the mountain Bill?

Sending positive thoughts.

[Bill B]

Those pictures are crazy.

Do you live on the mountain Bill?

Sending positive thoughts.

Yes, we are in Crestline, Ca. (Elev. 4,600') just down the road from Lake Arrowhead. 

So thunder storms and rain are in the area.  Good for the ground pounders, bad for the air assets. No official updates from the fire authority, but it appears the fire is burning ESE away from us.  May take a trip to the rim later to take a look.  Sometimes you just have to put eyes on a problem to have an idea of whats going on.

[Hardy Boy]

Good luck. Stay safe. All the best.

Todd

[Rocket Dog]

Bill,

I hope you get some rain or the wind lays down for the airdrops.

We have the Camp Williams fire near us, about 9 miles as the crows flys though its nothing like you are experiencing.

[Bill B]

Things are settling down. Had a good rain this afternoon with a phenomenal thunderstorm. Sat outside with a neighbor just to listen to it.  Air ops was grounded most of the day due to smoke and weather.

Watching the flight radar no one was up except a couple cowboys getting in their NOD flight hours.  How do I know you ask, their flight pattern was nothing more than a tour of the mountain, with a great flyover right down the middle of Lake Arrowhead at 2000hrs at about 50' above the lake 🤣🤣🤣🤣 

As far as I am concerned we have dodged the bullet here in Crestline.

Big shout out to all the personal who kept our mountain safe.

Bill

Edit: Total acreage is now 20,529 acres, an increase of approximately 3,200 acres. Yesterday the fire grew by 10,000 acres.  Total personal on scene is 1,855.

[Bill B]

Apparently there was a hot single mom with a cat stuck in a tree and she asked if anyone could help....🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[Gfish]

Great pictures Bill. Resource reality! Scary lookin to me even from that distance. I remember getting to a Fire camp a couple of times and seeing something like that, everyone getting real quiet, all prolly thinking the same thing; "we have to go up into THAT tomorrow?"