A San Bernadino fire is devouring 11,000 acres and threatening more than 400 structures, forcing evacuations and pulling more than 1,200 firefighters to the scene in California.
The wildfire, which caught in the late afternoon on Wednesday,
developed rapidly, according to KESQ.
A government website operated by the National Forest Service reported “turbulent winds above and near ridge lines” made it more effective for helicopters to fight the fire than air tankers. Ten helicopters were on scene.
The fire is 10 percent contained, and after starting near Camp de Benneville Pines and forcing the evacuation of several campsites on Wednesday, has spread east into the Heart Bar Area and Coon Creek Area, and also south into the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area, the website said. The Pacific Crest Trail also is closed from Whitewater Preserve to Onyx Summit.
Evacuations include areas east of Angelus Oaks, Onyx Summit, Barton Flats, Seven Oaks, Heart Bar, and homes off of Rainbow Lane, the site said.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Stanley Reese, 74, of Dana Point, was on a three-day backpacking outing when he called in to be rescued in the San Gorgonio Wilderness. Authorities were able to airlift him to safety.
Calling it the “Lake Fire,” officials have said it’s the largest wildfire to hit the drought-stricken state so far this year, the Times reported.
Parts of the forests impacted by this fire were surveyed earlier this year and it was discovered that thousands of trees had died from the drought and also from bark beetles, which tend to multiply in drought conditions. Throughout the state, the Times reported, it’s estimated 12.5 million trees have died.
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