Recently in Oak Glen Fire Category

The Pendleton Fire in Yucaipa has been declared 100 percent contained and the Oak Glen III Fire is not too far behind at 90 percent containment, fire officials said today.

More than 500 firefighters worked through the night dousing hot spots on the Pendleton blaze, but many will be released by this evening, said Cal-Fire spokesman Justin Smith. The fire held at 860 acres.

Fire officials expect to have full containment on the Oak Glen fire by Sept. 7. That blaze was estimated to be 1,159 acres. About 1,750 firefighters remained assigned to that fire.

Oak Glen Fire:

- 1,012 acres burned

- 75 percent contained, full containment expected Monday

- Firefighting cost is $3.6 million

- 1,744 firefighters assigned

- 2,000 homes threatened

Pendleton Fire

- 860 acres burned

- 70 percent contained, full containment expected Friday

- 816 firefighters assigned

- Firefighting cost is $655, 058

- 400 homes threatened

There are four firefighter injuries on both fires. Two are burns, one is a heat injury and the last is a case of poison oak.

Fire officials are now saying that the historic ranch house that was believed to have been damaged by the Oak Glen Fire was not actually damaged. There are now no reports of any damaged homes.

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

Both the Oak Glen III and Pendleton fires remained calm overnight, but firefighters planned to stay alert due to anticipated thunderstorms in the area.

The Pendleton Fire held at 860 acres and was 70 percent contained, said Cal-Fire spokesman Bill Peters. The Oak Glen III Fire was 1,012 acres and 60 percent contained.

Hundreds of residents in evacuation areas were allowed to return home at 8 p.m. Tuesday after firefighters downgraded the neighborhoods from mandatory evacuation areas to recommended evacuation areas, Peters said.

"The area is open to residents only," Peters said. "The roadblocks are still in place."

Firefighters plan to continue cutting fire lines the next few days and dousing hot spots. Today, firefighters are concerned that thunderstorms could bring dry lightning down on the area's dry brush and spark a new blaze.

"We'll be watching and will be ready to respond if we get one," he said.

- melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

From San Bernardino County's Web site:

"All mandatory evacuations for the Oak Glen and Pendleton fires are being reduced to recommended evacuation orders (rather than mandatory). Only residents of those areas are being allowed into the area.

"Evacuees have been provided with informational materials for re-entry including Food Safety advisories and counseling services offered respectively by the County Departments of Public Health and Behavioral Health.

"Residents returning to their homes should be aware of the following:

* Many of the affected areas suffered power outages for some period of time during the fire.
* Use caution before eating food in your refrigerator or freezer.
* Food can be spoiled due to power outages

"If you or a member of your family are having trouble coping due to the wildfires we have been experiencing, remember to ask for help. To consult a counselor or mental health professional please call the County of San Bernardino Department of Behavioral Health at (888) 743-1478 or 2-1-1."

Steve Vanderburg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego, said rain Tuesday in the Yucaipa and Oak Glenn area does not appear to be a large storm system.

Vanderburg said a large, impressive thunderstorm system is over the Crestline and Running Springs area today, but he called the storms around Yucaipa and Oak Glen "pretty weak."

The service was forecasting a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon and evening. Vanderburg said the storm could help firefighters by raising humidity levels.

"When it gets cooler and more humid the firefighters can be more
aggressive," Vanderburg said. However, the storms can also bring erratic, gusty winds that could fan the flames and make battling the fire more difficult, he added.

The Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Gary Ovitt proclaimed a local emergency today due to the fires - the Oak Glen III Fire and the Pendleton Fire - that have already burned thousands of acres and posed a hazard to the safety of persons and property throughout San Bernardino County.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Gary Ovitt said, "We appreciate the timely help of Governor Schwarzenegger proclaiming a State of Emergency, which opens up a wide range of state resources to help us fight this destructive fire and help individuals and businesses get back on their feet."

The Oak Glen III Fire started at about 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 30, 2009 near the unincorporated community of Oak Glen, causing the evacuation of the entire community, and continues to spread in the San Bernardino National Forest. The Pendleton Fire started at about 3:45 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2009 in the City of Yucaipa and has caused additional evacuations of more than 1,000 homes in that area.

Fire officials were expected to assess this evening whether evacuees from the Pendleton Fire in Yucaipa could be let back into some areas, they said.

The topic was expected to be discussed during a 6 p.m. briefing for fire officials. Earlier, officials had said they hoped to allow evacuees back in to some areas by this evening.

In other fire news, 1,952 total personel were working both the Pendleton and Oak Glen fires. They used seven fixed wing aircraft and 1 helitanker in firefighting efforts today.

- stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com

Heavy rain and lightning were being reported in Yucaipa by Sun reporters who are covering the Pendleton Fire.

Storm clouds were seen overhead at 4:20 p.m. from Avenue E, and large rain drops were falling to the ground. The rain has been in small patches.

Earlier today, fire officials had said rain would be welcome because of the moisture it would bring. But they were worried about possible lightning strikes that could start more fires.

"It's a critical time," said Calfire spokesman Martin Johnson. "We're looking at this really closely and hoping the (fire) lines hold."

Firefighters were unsure how the weather changes might affect the wildfire, Johnson explained. With the small storm cells can come erratics winds and downdrafts.

Resident John Vanderelst evacuated his home after the City of Yucaipa called and asked him to leave because of the Pendleton Fire, he said. He later returned when he believed the fire didn't look that bad.

"We were ready to go," Vanderelst said. "We're probably going to stay until it gets real bad."

Vanderelst, who lives in the foothills on Poplar Street, complimented firefighters' efforts.

"These guys are doing a hell of a job," he said.

There is a long line of traffic heading south out of Wildwood Canyon as local residents evacuate the Yucaipa area due to the Pendleton Fire, according to Sun reporters on the scene.

The University of Redlands football team has canceled its 3 p.m. practice today because of smoke from the wildfires burning in Yucaipa and the community of Oak Glen.

The Bulldogs football team was also forced to practice inside the gym this morning because of the smoke.

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

Cal-Fire spokesman Bill Peters reports the following updates on the Oak Glen III and Pendleton fires:

- More than 1,000 firefighters are split between both incidents.

- The Oak Glen fire has burned an estimated 1,013 acres and is about 40 percent contained.

Crews on the ground are continuing to cut lines around the blaze and helicopters are dumping water on hot spots.

- The Pisgah Ridge area in the northeast section of the fire continues to be the biggest concern for firefighters.

- Fire officials have not disclosed the type of structure damaged in the Oak Glen fire on Monday. The structure received minor damage.

- The Pendleton Fire is about 640 acres and 45 percent contained, but Peters said the fire is "kicking up again."

- San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies have been driving through the Wildwood Canyon area since last night to remind residents of the mandatory evacuation, which is in place on Wildwood Canyon Road east of Fremont Street to Oak Glen Road. The evacuation is in effect for 900 homes, or approximately 2100 residents.

- A cause on both blazes is still being investigated.

- melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger arrived about 9:30 a.m. at the scene of the Oak Glen III Fire. He was attending a briefing by Cal-Fire officials for updates on the incident.

The Oak Glen III Fire didn't expand much overnight, but fire officials said there are still some areas of the blaze burning heavily and the weather will continue to be hot and dry today.

The blaze grew just 13 acres between Monday night and this morning, said Cal-Fire spokesman Jason Meyer. The blaze was estimated at 1,013 acres.

"Mandatory evacuations for Oak Glen are still in effect because there are still some pretty active areas of the fire," Meyer said.

The fire was 40 percent contained.

Meanwhile, fire officials estimated the Pendleton Fire in Yucaipa had burned 640 acres of brush. Firefighters had that fire 45 percent contained.

About 200 homes along Wildwood Canyon remained under mandatory evacuation while firefighters battled flare ups and lit back fires overnight.

"We had a report about an hour ago about a flare-up that consumed five acres pretty quickly," Meyer said.

Fifty fire engines were assigned to the Pendleton blaze, along with 40 hand crews and eight bulldozers. Aircraft will be moving between both blazes today.

- melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

All schools in the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District will be closed to students and staff today due to poor air quality from the fires.

According to the district's website, schools will reopen Wednesday.

- melissa.pinion-whitt@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

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

Ten homes have been evacuated because of the Pendleton Fire in Yucaipa, Cal-Fire Spokesman Jason Meyer said.

- josh.dulaney@inlandnewspapers.com

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

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."

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