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.

WHERE: Yucaipa Community Center (in the gymnasium)
34900 Oak Glen Road
Yucaipa, CA 92399

WHEN: Sept. 3 at 6 p.m.

Members of the Incident Command Team will provide an update on the status of the Oak Glen and Pendleton fires. There will also be a period of questions and answers with written questions only.

- 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

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

"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."

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.

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.

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

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.

The blaze, which began Monday, swept down to Fremont Heights Mobile Home Park, on the other side of a ridge from Avenue E.

"Once it came over the top, that's when it went squirrely on us," said East Bay Regional Parks Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim August.

Firefighters say the flare-up began as a little puff of smoke on a hill about 6:30 a.m. and spread from there. Firefighters were able to get control of the flare-up about five hours later.

So far, firefighters have been able to save homes from any damage, but one shed was destroyed along Avenue E.

- stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com
- melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

The 22-person Cal-Fire strike team called the Fresno-Kings Unit, staged at the end of Avenue E, where flames came within about 100 feet of several homes.

"The heavy winds this morning played havoc with us," said Cal-Fire Battalion Chief Billy See.

He said the winds easily carried the fire a half mile toward houses, where flames grew as large as 40 to 50 feet tall.

- stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com
- melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

"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.

The state has spent $106.5 million of its $182 million emergency firefighting fund -- just two months into the fiscal year, Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said. The budget was increased this year from $69 million in 2008-09 to more accurately reflect annual firefighting costs, he said.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that the unpredictable costs are also the reason he wanted to ensure California had a $500 million reseve fund this year.

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