August 2009 Archives
Despite the raging fire above him, Gary Ward stood calmly on a dirt knoll spraying nearby homes with a garden hose.
He talked on his cell phone while firefighters kept one eye on him and one on the nearby flames. Neighbors stood just feet from him watching the fire spark up.
Ward said he used to live in one of the houses he was spraying. He planted the trees that now tower above him.
"It's a beautiful place," he said about the designer homes in Park View Estates, near Wildwood Canyon in Yucaipa.
About three years ago, Ward moved two and a half miles away. But he came back to his old neighborhood Monday to help.
As flames light up the night sky, Ward grabbed a hose and started drenching anything that could be saved, from a wooden patio cover to the nearby brush.
- lori.consalvo@inlandnewspapers.com
Firefighters from all over the state came to the rescue Monday as they worked with local crew members to extinguish the Oak Glen and Pendleton fires Monday in Yucaipa.
Trucks from El Segundo and Anaheim weer spotted at the fire lines, along with jackets that read "Huntington Beach" and helmets that said "Santa Ana."
Fire Capt. Sal Gutierrez and his firefighters made the trek from Central California to help. The crew of 21 drove from Kings County, south of Fresno.
The agency strike team was assigned to structure protection and watched over the Fremont Heights Mobile Home Park in Yucaipa that sat at the base of the Pendleton Fire.
"We're here to make sure the structures don't burn," Gutierrez said.
In the hills above them, firefighters sparked fire breaks and bulldozers cleared dirt.
Gutierrez said they were creating a barrier around the park.
"We're hitting it real hard to try and slow it down," he said.
As they waited for more instruction, the visiting firefighters watched in awe when a DC-10 airplane dropped about 12,000 gallons of retardant over the flames.
By 6:30 p.m., the Pendleton Fire had burned more than 100 acres but no structures had burned. Fire officials said it was moving east, away from the neighborhoods of Yucaipa and toward the Oak Glen fire.
"Once it's clear, once it's burned, we'll be able to leave to help keep other houses safe," Gutierrez said.
- lori.consalvo@inlandnewspapers.com
Charlene MacLeod came home to find the hill near her mobile home had burst into flames.
She had gone to get something to eat and when she returned to the Fremont Heights Mobile Home Park in Yucaipa that houses 114 units, "the hill was burning up," the 81-year-old resident said.
MacLeod lives in the highest part of the complex. Her home sits in a prime area, with one of the best views of the valley below, but she was one of the first to be evacuated after the Pendleton Fire flared up.
San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies came about 5 p.m. Monday and told residents in the small cul-de-sac to leave the immediate area.
"I grabbed my clothes and my medicine and some water and the bills I owed for next month, that's about all I brought," said MacLeod, who has lived in the park since 1987.
She grabbed a few things and headed down the street, where evacuations were not mandatory. MacLeod waited there with some other residents and family members, who were packed and ready to leave at any moment.
"An officer came down the hill and said 'lady, you've got to go' and I said, 'sir, I've already grabbed my box of things,' " MacLeod said.
- lori.consalvo@inlandnewspapers.com
San Bernardino County Deputy Fire Marshall Mike Horton reports the following areas in and near Yucaipa are under a mandatory evacuation order:
All structures north of Wildwood Canyon Road between Canyon Drive on the west and Oak Glen Road on the east are subject to mandatory evacuation.
Evacuation orders also apply to the area bounded on the west by Fremont Avenue, on the north by Avenue E and Parkview Terrace, on the east by Canyon Drive and on the south by Wildwood Canyon Road.
Google Maps shows that there are some structures just outside this zone, north of Avenue E. It's probably safer for anyone there to evacuate as well. There are also a few homes on the southwestern corner of this zone that are not included, since Fremont does not connect with Wildwood. Residents should follow the directions of any public safety personnel on scene.
There is not yet any reported containment of the Pendleton Fire. The fire has not caused any injuries, nor has it damaged any homes, Horton said.
Evacuees can stay at Yucaipa Community Center, 34900 Oak Glen Road.
An evacuation center for large animals is in operation at Yucaipa Equestrian Center 13273 California Road.
San Bernardino County Animal Control e,emergency line is (800) 472-5609.
-andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
Cal Fire information officer Jason Meyer said the Pendleton Fire, which started Monday afternoon in the eastern Yucaipa area, has burned more than 100 acres and is threatening 400 homes.
The Pendleton Fire has not destroyed any structures, nor has it caused any injuries. Meyer said the fire is moving eastward at a moderate rate of spread, away from the neighborhoods of Yucaipa and toward the Oak Glen fire.
The Oak Glen Fire, which started Sunday afternoon south of Oak Glen and Potato Canyon roads, has burned 1,000-plus acres and firefighters have achieved 25 percent containment. The flames have damaged a single home.
-andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
An evacuation center was opened Sunday by the American Red Cross at the Yucaipa Community Center at 34900 Oak Glen Road. About 30 people have registered there, mostly to receive news updates, and 12 evacuees stayed overnight Sunday, according to Naomi Shapiro of the disaster assistance team.
Large and small animals are now being sheltered at the Devore Animal Shelter at 19777 Shelter Way in Devore. Small animals can also be sheltered at the Yucaipa Community Center.
Call Red Cross Disaster Services at (909) 888-1481 or the Community Center at (909) 790-7460 for shelter information. Call (800) 472-5609 for animal shelter information.
ktrudgeon@redlandsdailyfacts.com
Fire commanders are moving firefighters and equipment from the Oak Glen III Fire to the Pendleton Fire.
Three strike teams, or six engine companies, have been transferred from Oak Glen III to Pendleton. Two hand crews, two bulldozers and all available aircraft have been ordered to the Pendleton Fire, which is burning near homes in eastern Yucaipa.
-stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com
-andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has announced mandatory evacuations for Yucaipa residents living near the Pendleton Fire front:
The streets under evacuation are:
Pendleton Road
Panorama Drive
Jomar Street
Fremont Heights Mobile Home Park is also under an evacuation order.
The evacuation center is at Yucaipa Community Center, 34900 Oak Glen Road, Yucaipa.
stacia.glenn@inlandnewspaper.com
andrew.edwards@inlandnewspaper.com
Ten homes have been evacuated because of the Pendleton Fire in Yucaipa, Cal-Fire Spokesman Jason Meyer said.
- josh.dulaney@inlandnewspapers.com
Sun reporter Stacia Glenn has provided these photos of the newly-ignited Pendleton Fire in Yucaipa.
Dozens of firefighters are on scene along Pendleton Avenue and Cornell Street where a new brush fire has just lighted up in the chaparral of eastern Yucaipa.
Firefighters are calling the new fire the Pendleton Fire. It has already expanded to 100 acres.
"The biggest concern right now is just keeping it away from structures. The rest is going to be an air show," a battalion chief said.
The Boeing 747 Evergreen Super Tanker used earlier today on the Oak Glen III Fire has been assigned to the Station Fire near Pasadena, Cal-Fire Spokesman Jason Meyer said.
Firefighters have pulled some air resources off the Oak Glen III Fire to combat the fire in Yucaipa near Pendleton Road and Grandview Drive, Meyer said.
- josh.dulaney@inlandnewspapers.com
YUCAIPA - William Stovall said his wife was going to take their son to guitar lessons when she saw the landscape near their house was ablaze.
"She ran back inside and said 'Oh my gosh, the hills are on fire,'" Stovall said.
His family was preparing to escape from their neighborhood while being interviewed.
"It's not worth our lives," Stovall said.
The new fire, separate from the Oak Glen III Fire near Oak Glen, ignited near the crossing of Date Street and Pendleton Road, in eastern Yucaipa. The Stovall family's home, on Cornell Drive, is a short distance from that point.
**Update at 4:17 p.m. The fire is now called the Pendleton Fire.
-stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com
-andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
A new fire has ignited in eastern Yucaipa.
Sun reporter Stacia Glenn reports from the field that she observed flames within feet of houses in the area of Cornell Drive and Grant Street.
Cal Fire spokesman Bill Peters confirmed that there is another blaze that is not a part of the Oak Glen III Fire's front.
"We're loading about everything that flies to go hit it," Peters said.
-andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
The largest air tankers won't be returning today to the Oak Glen III Fire, Cal-Fire Spokesman Jason Myer said.
Firefighters earlier today used the Boeing 747 Evergreen Super Tanker, but Meyer couldn't verify how many dumps it made.
The tanker can hold about 24,000 gallons of retardant, or eight times what the average tanker can hold, Meyer said. The aircraft can deliver retardant while flying between 400 to 800 feet off the ground.
A DC-10 made one dump today, Meyer said. The aircraft holds 12,000 gallons of water or retardant.
- josh.dulaney@inlandnewspapers.com
The Oak Glen III Fire is 25 percent contained, Cal-Fire Spokesman Jason Meyer.
- josh.dulaney@inlandnewspapers.com
The Oak Glen III Fire has partially damaged one single-family residence, Cal-Fire Spokesman Jason Meyer said.
No structures have benn destroyed and no injuries have been reported at this time, Meyer said.
- josh.dulaney@inlandnewspapers.com
Total Fire Personnel: 500+
Engines: 87
Fire crews: 41
Airtankers: 4
Helicopters: 10
Dozers: 8
Water tenders: 6
- josh.dulaney@inlandnewspapers.com
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal funds to help firefighters battle the Oak Glen Fire.
The funds will reimburse 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs, FEMA officials said. They have been provided through the President's disaster relief fund.
- melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for the south and southeast portions of Oak Glen, according to a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department news release. Any one who leaves will not be allowed back into the area until evacuations are lifted.
The fire has burned about 1,100 acres and was moving in a southeast direction at 1:20 p.m., according to the news release. The fire is about 10 percent contained.
- lori.consalvo@inlandnewspapers.com
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department reports that Oak Glen Road is closed to through traffic between Chagall and Wildwood Canyon roads.
-andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
In a development that may be obvious to anybody who's looked at the air today, the South Coast Air Quality Management District reports that air quality levels are expected to be unhealthy or worse in areas near active wildfires.
"All individuals are urged to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities in any area directly impacted by smoke. This includes areas where residents can see or smell smoke," AQMD officials advised.
-andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
OAK GLEN -- UC Riverside professor Richard Minnich said the Oak Glen Fire is in position to consume massive amounts vegetation.
"It's about the oldest chaparral in the mainland of Southern California," said Minnich, an earth sciences professor who specializes in fire ecology.
"It's all very old. You've got a bomb ready to go off," he added.
In Minnich's view, the burn potential isn't necessarily a bad thing. He said that if the fire jumps Oak Glen Road and spreads toward open country, firefighters should watch the fire, allowing the flames to consume the decades-old brush now.
The alternative, Minnich said, is simply to wait for the brush to burn at a later time when conditions might be worse.
"This is the time now, you've got a window of about three weeks before the Santa Ana's hit," Minnich said.
Monday, the flames did reach Oak Glen Road near Riley's Farm but the fire did not reach the pavement. Firefighters employed a backfire and water drops in that area in their efforts to keep the fire at bay.
Firefighters' attack has also included air support from high capacity tankers, The prop-driven Martin Mars waterbomber, as well as DC-10 and 747 jet tankers have been part of the fire attack.
The fire, which started Sunday afternoon south of Oak Glen and Potato Canyon roads, has charred about 1,000 acres.
-andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com
-stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com
"It's looking better, it's not putting up as much smoke," Calfire spokesman Bill Peters said.
"Our goal is to do as much damage to the fire as we can before that 2 pm. window," Peters added. "We want to hit it as hard as we can."
Los Angeles County Fire Department website with news and updates on wildfires.
Darkness didn't bring any respite for firefighters battling the Oak Glen Fire, which tripled overnight to 900 acres and continued spreading toward Oak Glen this morning.
The blaze, which began Sunday afternoon south of Oak Glen and Potato Canyon roads, prompted evacuations and had residents preparing to move some 60 domesticated farm animals from Oak Tree Village.
The fire's intensity did not decrease when nightfall came.
"It was daytime burning conditions - very active," said Cal-Fire spokesman Bill Peters. "It didn't settle down at all."
Peters said more firefighters will be coming in to battle the blaze this morning, and many will be making a stand at Oak Glen in case the fire makes it that far.
Crews in at least six air tankers and four helicopters were going to begin fighting the fire about 8 a.m.
The dry vegetation, high heat and low humidity might be combined with some other problems today, Peters said.
"The potential for some increased winds this afternoon is definitely a concern for today," he said.
Mandatory evacuations are in effect for south and southeast Oak Glen. Voluntary evacuations have been issued for the rest of the community.
An evacuation center has been set up at Yucaipa Community Center, 34900 Oak Glen Road.
Oak Glen Road is closed from Casa Blanca Street to Wildwood Canyon Road.
Large animals may be taken to the Yucaipa Equestrian Center, 13273 California St. Anyone needing assistance with animals may call San Bernardino
- melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com
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