A wildfire broke out Tuesday and spread at a staggering pace in every direction through drought-parched canyons east of Los Angeles, burning at least a dozen buildings – including some homes – and prompting evacuation orders for entire communities. By nightfall, it had churned up and over ridges and was descending into the Mojave Desert. It has destroyed about 40 structures. Several blazes are nowhere close to being contained.
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San Bernardino County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig said while some homes have been saved, many families will return to nothing.
The fire 60 miles east of Los Angeles has consumed almost 47 square miles in Cajon Pass, a critical highway and rail corridor.
“I’m looking up here and I’m seeing buses, I’m seeing outbuildings, I’m seeing houses”, he said.
Among those are Scott and Michelle Keeney, who lost both their home and the historic Route 66 diner the Summit Inn on Cajon Pass.
The Bluecut Fire is just the latest inferno to plague the historically dry state.
The flames were fueled by thick stands of drought-stricken brush in the canyons and grass at lower elevations.
The fire forced a shutdown of Interstate 15, leaving commuters stranded for hours.
California had spent $164 million by August 12 to combat wildfires this year, Cal-Fire’s Tolmachoff said, not including the Blue Cut or Clayton fires.
“It’s raining ash”, Anderson told The Associated Press.
Ranch hands used hoses to wet down fences and anything else that could burn. MORE: Full list of evacuations, road closures, animal shelters and school informationThe California Air National Guard announced Wednesday it would be sending two C-130J Hercules aircraft to support the firefighting efforts at Cal Fire’s request.
San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa counties face the highest risk of exposure from wildfire smoke, Francesca Dominici, a Harvard professor and study co-author, told TerraDaily. Two were treated for minor injuries, according to the Los Angeles Times. In addition, one incident management team composed of a battalion chief and six other personnel were moved from the Pilot Fire – also in San Bernardino County – to the Blue Cut Fire to handle responsibilities such as logistics, supplies, planning and communications for the firefighters on the fire lines.
The Clayton fire in Clear Lake has consumed 4,000 acres and 175 structures and is only 40 percent contained, while the Chimney fire in San Luis Obispo County has destroyed 7,300 acres and 40 structures with 25 percent containment.
Their relief, however, was tempered with anger at a man who authorities believe set the blaze that wiped out several blocks of a small town over the weekend along with 16 smaller fires dating back to last summer.
This item has been corrected to say Pashilk has been charged in connection with 12 fires and one attempted fire, not 13 fires. He was completing a five-year sentence when he was assigned to fight wildfires for four months in 2007.
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The fire erupted late Tuesday morning in Cajon Pass 60 miles east of Los Angeles and exploded across thousands of acres, burning an unknown number of homes and shutting down key highways.
