On Saturday, fire teams focused their efforts on the communities of Lytle Creek and Wrightwood, finishing containment lines so that residents could return to their homes more quickly, said Lyn Sieliet, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service.
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By noon, a steady stream of vehicles were stationed along Highway 138 waiting to show proof of residency.
The Blue Cut fire, named after a narrow gorge near its origin in the Cajon Pass about 75 miles (120 km) northeast of Los Angeles, has blackened 37,000 acres of drought-parched heavy brush and chaparral after breaking out on Tuesday.
The spate of 14 wildfires in 2003 included the Old Fire, which burned across the San Bernardino Mountains for a week, scorching 91,281 acres, destroying more than 1,000 homes and other structures, and killing six people.
While there, the animals were ensured the best in care, Riverside County animal services officials said in a Facebook post.
The last time John Gauthier saw his childhood home before evacuating the community of Blue Cut on Wednesday, it was disappearing behind a rapidly advancing wall of smoke and flames that forced his family to flee for their lives.
More than 200 outbuildings were also destroyed, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
No deaths have been reported in the fire east of Los Angeles and the cause of the fire was under investigation. “We want to make sure that we don’t give homeowners false hope”, said Chief Mark Hartwig of San Bernardino County Fire. By 3:00 on August 16, less than 6 hours after the fire started, it had spread to over 5,500 acres (2,200 ha) forcing additional mandatory evacuation orders for most of Oak Hills, Phelan and Summit Valley. “I’ve been through a lot of fires and this is the fastest one I’ve ever seen”.
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The goal, Gomes said, is to see how differently the fire burns in an area with a large density of dead trees. They found the suspects trying to leave in a flatbed truck. With the evacuation orders lifted at Phelan, Baldy Mesa Road south of Phelan Road is also anticipated to open soon. Saturday, fire crews focused on the communities of Lytle Creek and Wrightwood. Fire officials have asked for the public’s assistance pinpointing the cause.
