FIRE UPDATE: 215 Freeway fire destroys businesses
By Louis Amestoy on October 13, 2008 9:41 PM
The first of Devil Winds whipping through the region blew up Monday with a pair of fast-moving urban fires that singed San Bernardino, including one that destroyed several homes and businesses and shut down the 215 Freeway for hours.
In conditions similar to the catastrophic Old Fire of 2003, Santa Ana winds steadily ripped through the county at 29 mph with occasional gusts up to 61 mph. A red-flag warning of "critical fire-weather conditions" remains in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday.
The morning fire spread along the 215 Freeway, burning 4 acres, closing the freeway for hours and causing more than $200,000 in damage. Fire officials said a homeless man was arrested on suspicion of tossing cigarette butts into dry brush behind a recycling company on H Street.
The second blaze started about 5:15 p.m. a half-mile north of the original fire, quickly spreading 1.3 miles along the freeway and damaging buildings within 11 city blocks.
"At this point, we feel confident that we're going to suppress the commercial fires," said San Bernardino firefighter Steve Tracy. "But we're going to be cautious with the winds and the potential that is ahead of us."
About 260 firefighters from at least eight agencies fought the fire as flames licked at buildings and embers were carried atop palm and eucalyptus trees.
The only injury reported late Monday was that of a firefighter who sprained his ankle during the morning fire.
As of 8 p.m., two large commercial buildings and at least two houses were destroyed, but officials said they might have been unoccupied.
More than 1,625 Southern California Edison customers in the county lost power due to downed power lines, said spokesman Paul Klein.
The 215 Freeway from the 10 to the 210 freeway intersections was shut down for hours. There was no word on evacuations late Monday.
Panicked motorists consumed by black smoke did U-turns on the freeway and backed up off on-ramps in their attempt to escape the fire, which shot huge flames up from the median.
"You could feel the heat on both sides of our car and we were concerned about fires burning our tires, so we tried to get off the freeway as fast as we could," said Tammy Howard who, along with her 12-year-old daughter, Shelby, was driving home to Hesperia when the second fire broke out.
The first freeway fire started at 10:22 a.m. behind Bas Recycling at 1400 N. H Street. Several employees grabbed fire extinguishers in an attempt to keep the flames from spreading.
"It was spreading fast, that's why we got involved the way we did," said general manager Sako Beudjekian. "But we were hoping the Fire Department would show up as soon as possible."
It took crews about 90 minutes to get a handle on the four-acre fire, which burned a 200-foot swath alongside the 215 and raced from 13th Street south to Fifth Street.
Fire crews had a four-hour breather before the blaze again kicked into high gear, this time near Highland Avenue and G Street.
Burning tree limbs fell onto railroad tracks, igniting some of the railroad ties and halting all trains.
One of the three railroad tracks that run through the area was up and running shortly after noon, said
Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail inspector Jeff Miller.
They were again closed after the second freeway fire blew up.
Powerful winds contributed greatly to moving the fire along, jumping from street to street and gobbling large patches of dry vegetation.
"This is the beginning, this is our first real Santa Ana," said Bill Patzert cq, climatologist with Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "But we've got a little ways to go. We're definitely not done yet."
Southern California typically sees about 30 Santa Ana days each year in the fall and winter months, although last year brought an extraordinary 70 or so days of the Devil Winds.
San Bernardino City firefighters were so overwhelmed with the two freeway fires that they diverted all medical aid calls to an ambulance company.
Staffing levels were boosted before the weekend with the knowledge that Santa Ana winds loomed in the days ahead.
About 75 Northern California firefightesr rolled south on Friday. Three U.S. Forest Service strike teams were dispatched to the local mountains. Three aircraft and four hotshot crews were also ordered into the mountains.
Several strike teams, at least some from a staging area at the Prado Dam in Chino, were en route to the fire late Monday, said San Bernardino Mayor Pat Morris.
The mayor met with city Fire Chief Mike Conrad and county Fire Chief Pat Dennen at the command center for a briefing.
Morris said it's too early to know exactly how seriously the city's business community has been impacted by the fire.
It's a possibility that the commercial buildings that were lost may have been vacant, after possibly being purchased by Caltrans as part of the freeway agency's plans to widen the 215.
Dozens of people gathered along I Street just west of the Jenco Productions Inc. industrial complex, which was fully involved.
What seemed to be propane tanks exploded every few minutes, scaring the crowds. Many rushed to turn on sprinklers as a last-ditch effort to protect their homes.
Joe and Lisa Mata said they've never seen anything like this in the eight years they've lived in the neighborhood.
"We never thought we'd experience anything like this," said Lisa Mata, 42.
Thick, black smoke choked people standing in the area and made it difficult to see more than more than a block or two in some areas. Residents tried to cover their faces from the burning ash that stung their eyes.
The smoke, which initially rose into the sky as a white cloud of ash, darkened after about an hour of burning.
The oily hue of the smoke suggested that more than brush and palm trees were ablaze as the unmistakable smell of scorched vegetation drifted across the East Valley.
The acrid aroma could be detected at least as far east as Citrus Plaza, where the black smoke could be seen dissipating into a haze before the sunset.
Firefighter tensions were much higher in the second fire, but residents said there were a few scary moments on the first freeway fire.
The back of a single business in the 900 block of West Orange Street burned Monday morning.
During the morning fire, residents and business owners around Orange and Harris streets mobilized against the flames.
Nearly 20 of them gathered hoses and sprang into action, battling flames that jumped Base Line Bridge onto a small hill that tapers down to several businesses in the area.
"It's amazing how the community comes together when things like this happen," said Barbara Sky, co-owner of two businesses in the neighborhood.
An ember ignited a small patch of dry brush next to an Orange Street home but residents extinguished the flames quickly.
"It couldn't pass our line of defense here," said Ronnie Vargas<NO1> cq<NO>, who lives on Olive Street. "All the neighbors here, they stuck together."
Santa Ana winds also toppled three semi tractor-trailers on the 15 Freeway in Ontario and Mira Loma, prompting one Sig Alert at the eastbound 10 Freeway interchange.
Staff writers Michael Sorba, Andrew Edwards, Kristina Hernandez, Mike Cruz, Jason Pesick and Melissa Pinion-Whitt contributed to this report.
stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com
