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
Too close Bill.
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
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
Here's a picture someone took yesterday. :o
A few more photographs I found
Stay safe Bill
yes stay safe man, n thanks for the pictures, cheers don.
Those pictures are crazy.
Do you live on the mountain Bill?
Sending positive thoughts.
Quote from: Crab Pot on September 08, 2024, 11:55:48 PMThose 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.
Good luck. Stay safe. All the best.
Todd
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.
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.
Apparently there was a hot single mom with a cat stuck in a tree and she asked if anyone could help....🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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?"
Quote from: Bill B on September 09, 2024, 05:51:30 AMApparently there was a hot single mom with a cat stuck in a tree and she asked if anyone could help....🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
;D ;D Good one!
Glad to hear that there are some improvements in the situation, I am holding thumbs for all the people out there that are effected.
Really scary photos.
God bless mutual aid
There was a small kitchen fire and they rolled 9 fire engines. Fire was out by the time the strike team arrived. They aren't messing around right now. :d
I counted 5 different S-64 Sikorsky AirCranes flying 3 different fires today. This one 8s reloading at Lake Arrowhead and making quick 4 minute trip over the rim to drop. BTW all these photographs I have been posting were copied from other sources. Hope you don't mind. Bill
There's now a fire near me in Trabuco Canyon. Started at an RC airplane airstrip in the canyon. They're calling it the Arport fire!
Oh boy, any word on the cause yet?
1300 acres in 3 hours. Watch Duty has it at 1800 acres.
Quote from: MarkT on September 09, 2024, 10:48:51 PMThere's now a fire near me in Trabuco Canyon. Started at an RC airplane airstrip in the canyon. They're calling it the Arport fire!
We use to have a RC Club at Beale AFB where I work.
That was until an RC plane augured into the ground and burnt half the base down.
No more RC Club....
Glad you haven't lost your sense of humor Bill! Must have been one hot mom! I know you'll post pictures of her soon! :d
Steve
With 3 major fires in SoCal, Line Fire, Bridge Fire, and the Airport Fire, we have our hands full. On the Line Fire east of me the fire is danger close to Running Springs. During the late afternoon 9 helos were reloading from Lake Arrowhead and dropping with an approximate 5 minute turnaround. Haven't heard if any structures were lost but I suspect some may have been lost. We are at 5% containment.
The Bridge Fire approximately 40 miles west is still outrageous. No containment and heavy tankers, MD87, DC10, and C130 plus numerous helps have been working it all day.
The Airport Fire, close to Mark T. Blew up. Consider it explosive! It appeared to be a wind driven fire burning northwest away from homes, but I did see a communication station in immediate danger. I counted at least 5 S-2 Trackers and numerous heavies working that fire.
Plus numerous smaller fires, structure, vegetation, etc. fires its been busy. I would hate to be the incident commander right now.
While I was working, I took a week long training in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) which introduced us to large scale incident management. It is a great system, which breaks down an incident into compartmentalized bites, operations, tactical, administration, communications, and resources. I have probably butchered it but you get the idea. It's a great system and we can see it in full operation right now.
Millions of dollars per hour are being spent and well worth it. The National Guard is being activated and should be fully in place by Thursday.
I have been glued to the computer monitoring various websites to analyze the available information and had to take a break today. It was overwhelming. Thanks to the Ohana I have been texting with to let me put out useless information and analysis (at least to those who don't live near here). I believe Crestline is out of danger, but will be praying for those that are still in harms path.
Bill
The Airport fire was started by heavy equipment moving boulders. Loader bucket struck some sparks.
It's gonna be a tough couple of weeks. We had a late aftrnoon onshore flow (10kts winds, from the west) that really helped clear the smoke and ash out here but I am sure probably exacerbated issues elsewhere. Tough mix of "air is clear enough that air units can safely operate" vs. "windy conditions make it dangereous to fly close to the ground around mountains". After tomorrow we are anticipating a cooling trend (out of the 100teens of the weekend down to 80's on Thursday) when this high pressure cell leaves that will hopefully give the troops a break. - john
Yeah, but Gov. Hairgel has activated the National Guard with an expected ETA of Thursday. Bringing 4 helos and a bunch of Rent-A-Cops for traffic control and looters prevention. And the fire started, ummmm 5 days ago. Maybe should have done this when he declared a state of emergency 3 days ago.
Just remember when seconds count help is just minutes away.
I can't seem to post pictures from my phone here, but the Bridge "fire" was visible rumning up the hills from the 57/210 fwys looking north east.
Otherwise all the smoke has pushed out east.the helps keep me up until about midnight when I finally fell asleep.
I gather most of that vegetation in that area hasn't burned in decades. It going to be buring for a bit.
Be safe everyone
Don't know where to begin.
Line Fire- I'm safe here in Crestline the fire is moving northeast towards Big Bear. Evacuation orders for all in the canyon leading up there. Report of 2 structures lost, 1 home and Keller Peak Fire Lookout. Strangely enough the cameras there are still working but all communication lines are toast. This was a vital link for all emergency communications in the area. We are at 32,900 acres. Weather is ripe for a blow up in the canyon.
Bridge Fire- 34,000+ acres buring uphill at an explosive rate. Communities on the otherside of the mountain, Wrightwood, Pinion Hill, etc are under Evacuation orders. We may lose Wrightwood tonight.
Airport Fire- 19,000+ acres and spreading rapidly. Trabuco Cyn, Robinson RNch, etc are ordered to evacuate. Fire has burned downhill to the edge of Lake Elsinore. No word on any structures.
We have the National Guard on the mountain doing looter prevention and traffic control. Weather is supposed to cool down tomorrow but weather patterns may change with unexpected consequences.
As Tonto once said to the Lone Ranger, " We are in some deep $#!/ this time". It's an old joke ask me next time you see me😉
The Airport Fire grew fast and is rapidly approaching a lot of homes.
I see they arrested some miscreant and charged him with arson in the Line Fire case; as someone who's fought forest fires in the past I hope they lock him up for decades.
That would be too easy on him.
Lots of small fires being lit in the area in the last few days, and not from embers.
This reminds me of the 2020 I-5 corridor fires that gutted Talent and Phoenix Oregon. They started south of Portland and drove down I-5 setting them up wind of towns.
Yes 1 dirtbag arrested for arson. We have a good DA who had no issues with a No Bail, and neither did the judge :d 2 other dirt bags arrested for looting.
Unfortunately many homes have been lost, mostly in the Bridge and Airport fires.
Had to turn the TV news off today, the wife was really stressed out and ready to charter a flight to the moon.
Weather has cooled considerably and right now winds have died down.
Bill
I heard today on the radio the Line was arson and something, I won't say "someone" has been arrested and may be behind other fires in the area.
I say eye for an eye, lite'um up...
Haze and fog are not a big deal here in the North Atlantic but the meteorologists are telling us the current haze here is from the west coast fires. Good luck out there folks.
Things are looking up. Line fire at 21% containment, Airport at 8%, and Bridge at 3%. Possible rain in the near future.
All previous Evacuation Warnings have been canceled and all Evacuation Orders downgraded to Warnings on the Line Fire. They are still working the the steep canyons and drainages. Unless something drastic happens the Line Fire almost finished. Still have the Bridge and Airport fires are still a concern, but now I can sleep a little better. Time to go fishing. Bill
Glad you can slow down just a bit. Have I told you the Olympic Peninsula is beautiful and wet? Oh wait, we had a little fire this year, few thousand acres. It took them weeks to get it out, there are some places up here you just can't get to.
The Man