INCIDENT UPDATED 1:02 HRS. AGO
Incident Overview
Update: The San Bernardino County Sheriff Department has initiated a mandatory evacuation for the Burns Canyon and Rimrock areas. Pioneertown is now under a voluntary evacuation. There is a shelter for evacuees at Copper Mountain College located at 6162 Rotary Way, Yucca Valley, CA 92252. Small animals may be taken to the Town of Yucca Valley Animal Shelter 4755 Malin Way Yucca Valley. Large animals may be taken to the Yucca Valley Equestrian Center 7429 Avalon Ave. Yucca Valley.
The Lake Fire was reported just before 4:00 pm on June 17, 2015. The cause of the fire is under investigation. It is approximately 23,199 acres in size and burning in timber. It is currently 21% contained.
Mandatory evacuations include: Areas along Hwy 38 east of Angelus Oaks to Onyx Summit, Barton Flats, Seven Oaks, South Fork, Heart Bar, Rainbow Lane, Burns Canyon, and Rimrock. There is a voluntary evacuation in place for Pioneertown..
State Highway 38 is closed between Angelus Oaks to Lake Williams. It will remain closed indefinitely due to reduced visibility and firefighting operations
All Hiking Trails into the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area have been closed due to the proximity of the fire to these trails. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed from Whitewater Preserve to Onyx Summit.
The fire remains active in the northeast. Yesterday the fire made a push northwards toward the Rainbow Lane Area but at this time no structures have been lost.
Approximately 360 campers were safely evacuated from the Camp Oakes in the Lake Williams Area on June 24th at about 2:00 pm. This was a precautionary evacuation due to the large number of campers.
The south side of the fire continues to burn in steep and rocky terrain with minor growth downhill hitting areas of unburned trees and grass that ignite and then burn again downhill. Additional crews have been inserted into the Ten Thousand Foot Ridge and will proceed toward the eastern Forest Boundary.
Resources on scene include:
103 engines
3 air tankers
2 DC-10 VLAT (Very Large Air Tankers)
18 helicopters
4 support planes
54 crews
16 water tenders
8 dozers
1894 personnel assigned to the fire
There have been four firefighter injuries.
Fire management is under Unified Command with Cal Fire, San Bernardino County Sheriff, San Bernardino County Fire, Big Bear Fire Department and California Highway Patrol. The Incident Command Post is located at Big Bear High School.
There are Smoke Advisories for nearby areas. Click here for the San Bernardino Mountains smoke information and click here for the Mojave Desert area smoke information
Ben's Weather Webcam has updated images of the fire area every 30 seconds
Basic Information
Current as of 6/25/2015, 7:25:25 AM
Incident Type Wildfire
Cause Under Investigation
Date of Origin Wednesday June 17th, 2015 approx. 03:52 PM
Incident Commander Walker
Incident Description Yesterday The Northeast Corner Of The Fire Made A Push Northward Into The Rainbow Lane Area But At This Time No Structures Have Been Lost. Last Night The Fire Grew Northwards Towards The Upper Pipes Canyon Area.
Current Situation
Total Personnel 1,894
Size 23,199 Acres
Percent of Perimeter Contained 21%
Fuels Involved
Timber with Grass and Understory
Significant Events
The communities of Burns Canyon and Rim Rock are under a mandatory evacuation. Pioneertown is under a voluntary evacuation. All aircraft on the incident were forced to land after an unmanned aircraft systems (drone) was spotted in the area of Onyx Summit just before 6:00 pm. Hwy 38 remains closed from east of Angelus Oaks to Lake Williams.
Outlook
Planned Actions
Continue to hold the fire south and east of Hwy 38 and North of Whitewater.
Remarks
A Type 2 Incident Management Team is in command of the fire
Current Weather
Weather Concerns
Weather will remain warm and dry over the fire with gusty west winds over the next few days. Temperatures will slowly cool over next several days with an increase in relative humidity. Possibility of monsoonal moisture for the weekend.
