Governor declares state of emergency, Pendleton Fire gets bigger

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared Tuesday morning that a state of emergency exists in San Bernardino County where the Oak Glen and Pendleton fires are still burning.

The governor met in Yucaipa with Cal Fire director Del Walters and others Monday morning. He also watched a helitanker fill up at the lake at Yucaipa Regional Park.

Additionally, the Pendleton Fire has expanded to 840 acres and because of that increase, its containment figure has been downgraded to 20 percent.

The Pendleton Branch is our biggest problem right now," said incident commander Tim McClelland, a Cal Fire deputy chief.

Near Pendleton's flames, about 1,100 homes and 2,500 people in the eastern Yucaipa area are under evacuation orders. Many people living inside the evacuation area have remained at their homes.

'When we ask you to evacuate, it's time to go," San Bernardino County Sheriff Rod Hoops said.

The Pendleton Fire, which started Monday, is moving eastward toward the Wildwood Canyon area and is about 1 to 1.5 miles away from the Oak Glen Fire, which ignited Sunday.

The Oak Glen Fire has burned 1,012 acres and is at 40 percent containment.

- stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com
-andrew.edwards@inlandnewspapers.com