Wildfires in Southern California torch dozens of homes and force thousands to evacuate (2024)

WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. — (AP) — Three major wildfires in Southern California's mountains east of Los Angeles torched dozens of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate, officials said Wednesday.

At least a dozen people, mainly firefighters, were treated for injuries that were mostly heat-related, authorities said. One person from Orange County was burned. No deaths have been reported.

The wildfires have been endangering tens of thousands of homes and other structures across the region after they sprung to life during a triple-digit heat wave over the weekend. Other major fires were burning in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada, where about 20,000 people had to flee a blaze outside Reno.

In the tight-knit community of Wrightwood that sits on the Pacific Crest Trail, authorities implored residents to evacuate the exploding Bridge Fire, which burned more than a dozen homes in the area.

Resident Erin Arias said she was racing up the mountain when she got the sudden order to leave and did, grabbing her passport and dog. On Wednesday, she and her husband doused water on the roof of their still-standing home. Their cat was missing, she said.

“It’s absolutely scary,” Arias said, looking at the burned embers of her neighbor’s home. “We’re really lucky.”

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said the fire moved extraordinarily fast across complex terrain, likely giving Wrightwood residents less time to evacuate than usual and surprising even seasoned fire officials.

The Bridge Fire “had to go up mountain sides, burn down slope, jump across valleys, burn across new ridges, and then make it down slope again at least two other times in effectively one burning period,” he said.

California is only now heading into the teeth of the wildfire season but already has seen nearly three times as much acreage burn than during all of 2023. The White House said President Joe Biden was monitoring the wildfires in the West and urged residents to heed state and local evacuation orders.

Cooler temperatures were expected to potentially start tempering fire activity as the week progresses.

The full extent of the damage was not immediately known as firefighters battled multiple fires simultaneously. The three blazes include:

— The Airport Fire in Orange County that burned over 35 square miles (91 square kilometers). The fire was 5% contained Wednesday night and was reportedly sparked by heavy equipment operating in the area. Orange County Fire Capt. Steve Concialdi said eight firefighters were injured, mostly heat-related. One resident suffered smoke inhalation and another burns, he said. Several homes burned in El Cariso Village.

— The Line Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest that was 18% contained Wednesday and charred 57 square miles (148 square kilometers). The blaze injured three firefighters. Authorities said it was caused by arson in Highland. A suspect was arrested Tuesday.

— The Bridge Fire east of Los Angeles that grew tenfold in a day, burning 78 square miles (202 square kilometers) and torching at least 33 homes and six cabins and forcing the evacuation of 10,000 people. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. It was zero percent contained Wednesday night.

With so many fires raging at once, crews were at their limits, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.

“As a region, we’re currently at drawdown for fire personnel and resources,” he said, adding that authorities have requested assistance from Northern California and nearby states.

Gov. Gavin Newsom sent National Guard troops in to help with evacuations.

In El Cariso Village, a community of 250 along Highway 74 in Riverside County, an Associated Press photographer saw at least 10 homes and several cars engulfed in flames.

Kevin Fetterman, Orange County Fire Authority Incident Commander, said the blaze has been difficult to tame because of the terrain and dry conditions and because some areas hadn't burned in decades.

More than 5,500 homes in Riverside County were under evacuation orders, affecting more than 19,000 residents. Several recreational cabins and structures in the Cleveland National Forest were damaged.

In San Bernardino County, some 65,600 homes and buildings were under threat by the Line Fire, and residents along the southern edge of Big Bear Lake were told to leave Tuesday.

The Line Fire blanketed the area with a thick cloud of dark smoke, which provided shade for firefighters trying to get ahead of winds expected later Wednesday, said Fabian Herrera, a spokesperson for the Line Fire.

A man from the town of Norco suspected of starting the Line Fire on Sept. 5 was arrested and charged with arson, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said. Officials did not specify what was used to start the fire.

Investigators collected evidence from the delivery driver’s vehicle and home that suggests he could have been involved in starting other fires, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said Wednesday.

On the Nevada border with California near Reno, the Davis Fire forced thousands of people to evacuate over the weekend, destroyed one home and a dozen structures and charred nearly 9 square miles (23 square kilometers) of timber and brush along the Sierra Nevada’s eastern front.

Rich Meyr and Evelyn Kelley were the first arrivals at an evacuation center set up Wednesday at a recreation center in south Reno. Both said they refused to evacuate previous fires but decided to play it safe this time.

“My son’s wedding is Saturday. I threw all the flowers and gowns in the RV and we left. It looks like a garden shop inside that RV,” Kelley said. “But who wants to burn alive?”

More than 600 firefighters kept the blaze from growing Wednesday despite high winds that grounded all aircraft that had dropped retardant on the flames over the past two days. The fire was about 30% contained Wednesday night.

Elsewhere, a Colorado man was charged with arson after an investigation into a wildfire this summer that destroyed 29 homes and caused more than $30 million in property damage near Loveland, Colorado.

___

Thayer reported from El Cariso Village, Taxin from Santa Ana, California, and Rodriguez from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Scott Sonner in Reno, Nevada, Amy Hanson in Helena, Montana, Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles and Thomas Peipert in Denver contributed.

___

This story corrects the name of the town along Highway 74; it is El Cariso Village, not El Cariso.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Wildfires in Southern California torch dozens of homes and force thousands to evacuate (2024)

FAQs

What caused the southern California wildfires? ›

Authorities say two of the fires — Airport and Line — were caused by humans, the first by accident and the other allegedly intentional. The cause of the Bridge Fire is under investigation. All sparked in extremely hot and dry conditions.

What's the name of the wildfire that has consumed over 50000 acres in California? ›

The Bridge Fire in Los Angeles and San Bernardino has burned dozens of homes and cabins as it continues to burn over 50,000 acres.

How many homes have been destroyed by wildfires in California? ›

In the past five years, nearly 25,000 homes and other buildings across the state, from the backwoods of Paradise to the canyons of Malibu, have been destroyed by massive fires, with tens of thousands more badly damaged. Thirteen of the 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred over that time.

How many homes were lost in Wrightwood? ›

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a Wednesday news conference that the Bridge Fire has destroyed 20 homes in the Mt. Badly area, 13 homes in the Wrightwood area, and six cabins in the wilderness were also wiped out.

What is causing all the wildfires in California? ›

It was found that nearly all the observed increase in burned areas over the past half-century is due to human-caused climate change.

Who set the fire in California? ›

Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, is alleged to have set off three different fires last week, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said Thursday. One evolved into the Line Fire, which has continued to burn after eight days, while the two others have been contained.

What is the most destructive wildfire in California history? ›

Deadliest wildfires
NameStructures
1.Camp18,804
2.Griffith Park0
3.Tunnel2,900
4.Thomas1,063
16 more rows

What is the biggest fire in U.S. history? ›

The biggest wildfire in recorded US history is the 1825 Miramichi Fire. It blazed through an estimated 3,000,000 million acres and claimed at least 160 lives. That makes it not just one of the most widespread fires, but also one of the deadliest.

What state has the most wildfires? ›

Which states have the most wildfires? California almost always tops the list of states with the most wildfires, and it's a good example of how some states face greater risk because of their climate. The state's dry climate coupled with regional winds increase its wildfire risk.

What are the 3 biggest wildfires in California? ›

Largest wildfires in California history. Bar chart showing the largest wildfires in California history, measured by acres burned, from 1932 to 2024. The August Complex fire in 2020 was the largest, burning over 1 million acres, followed by the Dixie fire in 2021 and the Mendocino Complex fire in 2018.

What was the worst year for fires in California? ›

2020 was the largest wildfire season recorded in California's modern history with more than 4% of the state's total land burning in a single year.

How many homes were lost in the Oakland Hills fire? ›

The 1991 Oakland firestorm started as a small fire on private property in the Oakland hills. The flames were extinguished until smoldering embers sparked the next morning exploding into a deadly inferno. Twenty-five lives were lost and more than 3,400 homes were destroyed in the fire.

How many homes lost in Creek fire? ›

Creek Fire (2020)
Creek Fire
Structures destroyed856
Damage>$500 million (2020 USD)
Ignition
CauseUndetermined
13 more rows

Did Mountain High Resort burn down? ›

Mountain High Resort survives after Bridge Fire destroys homes in Wrightwood. Bridge Fire update: Despite the massive fire that burned through Wrightwood, the Mountain High Resort says it survived with little to no damage.

What started the Airport Fire today in California? ›

Authorities in Orange County say the Airport Fire, which broke out in Trabuco Canyon near a field for remote-controlled airplanes, was unintentionally started by public works employees using heavy equipment in the area.

What caused a land boom in Southern California? ›

Extension of the transcontinental rail line to Los Angeles triggered a boom in the southern part of the state, a boom that picked up even more steam once the Santa Fe Railway gave Los Angeles its own direct line to the East in 1885, a line in direct competition with the Southern Pacific.

What started the San Bernardino fire? ›

The cause of the Line Fire was determined to be arson. San Bernardino County prosecutors charged Justin Wayne Halstenberg with arson on Thursday as well as other crimes related to the fire.

How have humans caused California wildfires? ›

Human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, equipment use and malfunctions, negligently discarded cigarettes, and intentional acts of arson.

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