California Gov. Gavin Newsom activated the state National Guard to respond to the intense and fast-moving Line fire in San Bernardino County on Sept. 10 as it continued to burn with “great intensity,” torching 41 square miles.
National Guard soldiers began arriving Tuesday to help sheriff’s deputies with evacuation efforts.
The governor’s order also provided the firefighters with four Blackhawk helicopters to drop buckets of water on hot spots, and two C-130 aircraft capable of dropping fire retardant and assisting crews on the ground.
The extra help turned up just as gusty winds, heat, and low humidity arrived Tuesday afternoon, with crews working to slow the flames headed toward Running Springs and Big Bear Lake.
Forecasters placed a red-flag warning on the fire region starting at 11 a.m., alerting residents that weather conditions could increase the intensity of the burn. The warning was expected to expire at 8 p.m.
Investigators have not yet determined what sparked the fire, which has forced thousands of people to flee their homes in small communities near the popular recreation area of Big Bear Lake.
More National Guard soldiers were expected to arrive Wednesday, which would include four 20-person hand crews to help support the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) efforts.
Nearly 2,100 firefighters were assigned to the fire, aided by 232 fire engines, 15 water tenders, 15 helicopters, 33 bulldozers, and other equipment, according to fire officials.
Three firefighters were injured in the early days of the fire, before additional crews were brought in to manage the incident, according to spokesman Arnold Menjivar working at the fire’s command center, where local, state, and federal fire officials were coordinating efforts.
The injured firefighters are doing well and resting at home, Menjivar said. No injuries to residents were reported.
More than 6,100 people have been ordered to leave their homes in small communities near the fire, which was expected to grow.
“It’s burning toward the northeast … which is towards Big Bear,” Menjivar told The Epoch Times.
Crews were constructing lines ahead of the flames and had positioned several strike teams to respond quickly if the fire should head in the direction of the popular tourist destination.
About 5,000 residents in Big Bear Valley, from the dam to Cactus Drive, were under an evacuation warning and have been asked to prepare to leave quickly, according to Menjivar.
“If and when they get an evacuation order, they should leave in an orderly fashion, and the best way to do that is to prepare,” he said.
The fire, however, would first hit Running Springs, a community of about 4,600 residents about 17 miles west of Big Bear Lake that has already been evacuated.
“[The fire] would hit Running Springs before it hits Big Bear—if it even makes it that far,” Menjivar said.
The Line fire was only 5 percent contained, fire agencies reported Tuesday morning.
The blaze started Sept. 5 about 65 miles east of Los Angeles in Highland, next to an open space in the San Bernardino National Forest.
Southern California Edison (SCE) may cut power to the residents as a precaution to reduce fire risk in the community, according to Bear Valley Electric Service, the utility that provides electricity to about 23,000 customers in Big Bear Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains.
Nearly 2,100 customers in San Bernardino County are facing possible power shutoffs, the utility reported at noon Tuesday.
The shutoffs are decided by power companies in the state when winds and dry vegetation create a higher risk of fire and involve a larger region than the area affected by the Line fire.
“The top priority is the safety of our customers and communities,” Castro told The Epoch Times. “We continue to use the public safety power shutoffs as a last resort to keep the customers safe.”
About 65,600 homes were threatened by the flames but none have been damaged or destroyed, according to fire officials. Of those, 9,200 are in areas that have been evacuated and 56,400 were in areas under evacuation warnings.
Two evacuation shelters were opened to support residents forced to leave their homes. One is at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds, Building 6, at 14800 7th Street in Victorville. The second shelter is at Jesse Turner Community Center, 15556 Summit Avenue in Fontana.
