INCIDENT INFORMATION

Start Date: 9/05/2020

Location: Oak Glen/West Yucaipa in

San Bernardino County CA

Size: 10,574 acres

Percent containment:  16%

Cause: Human-caused, under investigation

Assigned Resources:

Hand Crews: 9

Helicopters: 4

Engines: 75

Fixed Wing: 4

Dozers: 7

Water Tenders: 9

Total Personnel: 719

Current Conditions:

Firefighters are aggressively working to contain the El Dorado Fire. A successful burnout operation was conducted on the eastern fire perimeter, between Oak Glen Road and the Apple Fire burn scar, yesterday. The strategy in this area is to clear the vegetation and reinforce the fire line to prevent the fire from escaping and moving toward homes. A burnout was also completed around Mountain Home Village on the north side of the fire. 

We are making good progress on securing the perimeter lines, but they are not complete. With Santa Ana winds predicted this afternoon through Thursday morning, there is the potential for the fire to spread into neighborhoods and communities. Please heed evacuation orders throughout this event and support firefighters by allowing them to focus on this fire and not on managing you.

The weather remains dry and hot. The fuels are critically dry and very receptive to burning. A Red Flag Santa Ana wind event is predicted to start at noon today and last until Wednesday at 8 p.m. This will bring significant wind over the fire area with 15 to 20 mph sustained winds and gusts up to 45 mph this afternoon and overnight. This creates a potential for long range spotting and large fire growth. Firefighting efforts will be tested with the predicted forecast. Air resources may be unable to fly due to both smoke and winds.

Residents, again, please heed evacuation orders, please stay out of the fire area. Stay vigilant and check Inciweb, Twitter and Facebook for changes on the #Eldoradofire.  We are short on information personnel and are working to get maps and information out in print on signboards.   We will have physical signboards at the Stater Bros. shopping center in Beaumont at 1430 Beaumont Ave., a second location at 1775 east Lugonia Ave. in Redlands near the Starbucks and 11365 Bryant St. Yucaipa in the Stater Bros shopping center.

Please note that the Red Cross Temporary Evacuation Point has been moved to the cafeteria at Redlands East Valley High School 31000 E. Colton Ave in Redland.

CLOSURES AND EVACUATIONS

ROAD CLOSURES: 

• Highway 38:   Northbound Highway 38 is closed at Bryant Ave. and Southbound Highway 38 is closed at the town of Angelus Oaks. 

• Oak Glen Road:  Closed at Bryant to eastbound traffic

• Wildwood Road: Closed at Bryant to eastbound traffic

EVACUATIONS:

Evacuation Order: Yucaipa Blvd at Bryant intersection to the east. Yucaipa Blvd to Ave E southeast to the intersection of Mesa Grande, east to Wildwood Canyon Rd to include all portions of Hidden Meadows and the southern portion of the Cherry Valley Community from Nancy Lane east to Beaumont Ave. Including portions of Riverside County down to Orchard St.

Oak Glen (partial, see road closures), Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls and North Bench Yucaipa (north of Carter St to Highway 38 and both sides of Bryant St east & west).

Evacuation Warning: Evacuation warning in place for Beaumont Ave east to Hillside Place in the Highland Springs area to the Apple Fire burn perimeter to the north and Cherry Valley Blvd to the south.

SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST RECREATION CLOSURES:
The entire Forest was closed to all public use at 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7.  Please see https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sbnf/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD799192 for more information.

Current Conditions:

Firefighters made good progress on the El Dorado Fire today. There was no major wind event during the day.  Firefighters were able to put black line around the Mountain Home community in the Mill Creek drainage to protect homes as the fire burns downslope on this northern perimeter. A burnout operation was also conducted  on the eastern fire perimeter, between Oak Glen Road and the Apple Fire burn scar. The strategy in this area is to clear the vegetation to prevent the fire from escaping and moving towards homes.

On the north side of Yucaipa Ridge, the fire activity remains much calmer and crews are working on holding the fire at the Mill Creek wash along Hwy 38 at Mountain Home Village and into Forest Falls. The hard work of crews on the ground, dozers and aircraft have enabled a lot of great work to be accomplished as fire lines continue to be constructed around the fire in preparation for the upcoming Red Flag Santa Ana Wind event starting at noon tomorrow and lasting through Wednesday.    

The weather will remain dry and hot throughout the night. The fuels remain receptive to burning which creates a potential for large fire movement.

Residents, please heed evacuation orders, please stay out of the fire area. The Red Cross Temporary Evacuation Point has been moved to the cafeteria at Redlands East Valley High School 31000 E. Colton Ave in Redlands.  
  

CLOSURES AND EVACUATIONS

ROAD CLOSURES: 

• Highway 38:   Northbound Highway 38 is closed at Bryant Ave. and Southbound Highway 38 is closed at the town of Angelus Oaks. 

• Oak Glen Road:  Closed at Pine Bench Rd on the east and Cherry Croft/Jefferson on the west.

EVACUATIONS:

Evacuation Order: Yucaipa Blvd at Bryant intersection to the east. Yucaipa Blvd to Ave E southeast to the intersection of Mesa Grande, east to Wildwood Canyon Rd to include all portions of Hidden Meadows and the southern portion of the Cherry Valley Community from Nancy Lane east to Beaumont Ave. Including portions of Riverside County down to Orchard St.

Oak Glen (partial, see road closures), Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls and North Bench Yucaipa (north of Carter St to Highway 38 and both sides of Bryant St east & west).

Evacuation Warning: Evacuation warning in place for Beaumont Ave east to Hillside Place in the Highland Springs area to the Apple Fire burn perimeter to the north and Cherry Valley Blvd to the south.
 

SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST RECREATION CLOSURES:
The entire Forest was closed to all public use at 5PM today.  Please see https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sbnf/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD799192 for more information.

Fire and Emergency Managers with the El Dorado fire will host a Virtual Community Meeting.

Tonight at 6pm PT Live on Facebook.

Please submit your questions during the live feed. WATCH LIVE https://bit.ly/3jNJf8C

The webcast will also be available on the homepage of https://bit.ly/3h9WIWC.

From:

Randy Moore

Regional Forester

Pacific Southwest Region 5

California is experiencing an unprecedented and dire fire season. There are 18 National Forests in California, totaling approximately 20 million acres. Currently, 13 of 18 National Forests in the Pacific Southwest Region in California large fires. Nearly all fires are now large, “complex” fires (a series of fires in close proximity to one another that have burned into a single large unit). In a typical fire season California will see some 300,000 acres burn. This year, more than 1.8 million acres have already burned statewide.

Extreme weather conditions have made this situation significantly worse this year. Record high temperatures, unprecedented dry lightning events, and multiple heatwaves across the state have made conditions extremely dry and susceptible to fire ignition. Temperatures have reached over 100 degrees for most of the state several weeks running, even in areas along the coast that are typically cooler. In addition to the heat and high temperatures, significant wind events have occurred fueling blazes out of control. This week major wind events are forecast for northern and southern California. In northern California the prediction is for a 99-year historic wind event beginning Monday evening. In southern California, the early arrival of strong Santa Ana winds is predicted. The combination of record heat and wind are recipe for significant fire danger and potential disaster.

Nationally, and within California, firefighting resources are operating at maximum capacity and there are significant shortages of resources. Our firefighting organization has been in Preparedness Level 5 (PL5), the highest level of fire response preparedness, for several weeks. Nationally there are no Type 1 Incident Management Teams available and only 2 Type 2 teams available. All fire engines and major firefighting equipment are already assigned to existing fires or positioned to prevent new fire starts from escaping initial attack. This scarcity of resources has caused the agency to seek assistance from the US Military as well as other countries including Canada, Mexico, and Australia. This situation means that should additional fires break, the agency may not be able to respond in a timely manner, further risking life and property.

National Forests in California have seen record numbers of visitors this summer. Reports indicate that use levels normally associated with peak holidays such as Memorial Day and the 4th of July are being seen every day throughout the summer. This has held true this Labor Day weekend as well. Campgrounds and dispersed use areas are reported as full to capacity and overflowing. Parking lots spill over into roadways. Conflicts between use groups are up, including criminal activity. And trash and human waste are collecting faster than staffs are able to clear and clean facilities. These visitor use levels and related management issues further exacerbate a challenging fire situation creating a heightened level of risk.

In southern California and the southern Sierra Nevada mountain foothills the situation is particularly dire. Climates are typically drier in these parts of the state. And years of drought and major tree mortality in the Sierra foothill areas has created fuel types and conditions particularly suited to fire ignition. When we consider this in relation to the high levels of public use and recreation that occurs in these areas, there is a recipe for potential disaster. There are 40 million people in close proximity to the forests in southern California and use is high and difficult to manage. For example, on the San Bernardino and Angeles National Forests there are major roads leading up steep canyons access remote communities and forest areas. On most days forest recreation was so crowded that parked cars along roadsides blocked traffic. In in more than one such instance emergency vehicles were prevented from access those in need because of the crowds. And finally, earlier this week the Creek Fire on the Sierra National Forest grew exponentially one afternoon due to high winds encircling a popular boat launch and lake area. As a result, 150 people were entrapped and had to be rescue evacuated by helicopters from the Army National Guard.

This Regional Order will provide for the safety of forest visitors by further mitigating wildfire ignition potential during these extreme fire conditions. It will cover the following Southern California National Forests: Cleveland NF, Angeles NF, San Bernardino NF, Los Padres NF, Sequoia NF, Sierra NF, Stanislaus NF and Inyo NF. This order will be in effect from September 7, 2020, through September 14, 2020.

This Regional Order includes an exemption for persons with a Forest Permit for Use of Roads, Trails, or Areas Restricted by Regulation or Order (Form FS-7700-48).  Authorization under this exemption will only be provided if I or my delegate determine that the risk to personal health and safety is reasonable considering the circumstances of the request.  We may also require appropriate personal protective equipment and other necessary safety measures.  I hereby delegate the authority to sign Form FS-7700-48 granting an exemption to this Regional Order to all Forest Supervisors in the Pacific Southwest Region.

I have concluded that this decision may be categorically excluded from documentation in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or Environmental Assessment (EA) under the National Environmental Policy Act.  This action falls within the category identified in 36 CFR 220.6(d) (1) – prohibitions to provide short-term resource protection or to protect public health and safety – and does not require documentation in a decision memo, decision notice, or record of decision.  I have determined that there are no extraordinary circumstances associated with this temporary closure.  Implementation of the decision may begin immediately.

Current Conditions:

On the south slope of Yucaipa Ridge, the El Dorado Fire continued to burn actively throughout the night making a significant push downslope from Wilshire Peak to below Pine Bench Road impacting structures in that area. Damage assessment teams are currently working in the area to confirm the extent of the damages, the number of structures involved and their locations.

On the north side of Yucaipa Ridge, fire activity is much calmer. The fire is burning slowly down the north slope towards the communities of Mountain Home Village and Forest Falls.

The weather remains dry and hot with a high heat warning and low relative humidity. The predominant northeast winds are expected at 3 to 5 mph gusting to 10 mph with a westerly wind shift at 3 to 6 mph gusting to 11 mph in the early afternoon with a possible fire plume buildup in the unstable atmosphere over the fire. This will result in continued active fire behavior throughout the day. Firefighters are working hard to build a line around the fire and protecting structures in the communities affected.  Firefighting aircraft will assist crews on the ground with retardant and water drops, however, the afternoon winds may ground the aircraft.

Residents, please heed evacuation orders, and holiday travelers, please stay out of the fire area. Residents in and around this fire, please remain vigilant: Conditions are changing quickly.  There is a Santa Ana wind event anticipated tomorrow night through Wednesday.  We are working as hard as we can to prepare for it. Help us by staying out of the firefighters way.

CIIMT 11, a Type 2 Incident Management Team, is managing the El Dorado Fire for the San Bernardino National Forest in unified command with the City of Yucaipa, San Bernardino County Fire, Cal Fire BDU, San Bernardino County Sheriffs and California Highway Patrol.

CLOSURES AND EVACUATIONS:  (Holiday travelers, please note!)

ROAD CLOSURES: 

• Highway 38:   Northbound Highway 38 is closed at Bryant Ave. and Southbound Highway 38 is closed at the town of Angelus Oaks.

• Oak Glen Road:  Closed at Pine Bench Rd on the east and Cherry Croft/Jefferson on the west.

EVACUATIONS:

Evacuation Order: Yucaipa Blvd at Bryant intersection to the east. Yucaipa Blvd to Ave E southeast to the intersection of Mesa Grande, east to Wildwood Canyon Rd to include all portions of Hidden Meadows and the southern portion of the Cherry Valley Community from Nancy Lane east to Beaumont Ave.  Including portions of Riverside County down to Orchard St.

Oak Glen (partial, see road closures), Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls and North Bench Yucaipa (north of Carter St to Highway 38 and both sides of Bryant St east & west).

Evacuation Warning: Evacuation warning in place for Beaumont Ave east to Hillside Place in the Highland Springs area to the Apple Fire burn perimeter to the north and Cherry Valley Blvd to the south.

SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST RECREATION CLOSURES

• San Gorgonio Wilderness: The entire wilderness area is closed, in addition to all inbound trails and associated parking lots, roads and trailheads.

• Other Trails: Big Falls, Oak Glen Divide, Wilson Creek and Santa Ana River Trail between the southern Forest boundary and Middle Control Road.

• Picnic Areas: Falls and Thurman Flats

• Camping: Thomas Hunting Grounds Yellow Post Sites

• Roads: Thomas Hunting Grounds Road (1N12), Morton Springs Road (1S13) and Warm Springs Road (1S12)

Note: All visitors should be prepared for the possibility of future closures at a moment’s notice.

INCIDENT INFORMATION

Start Date: 9/05/2020

Location: Oak Glen/West Yucaipa in

San Bernardino County CA

Percent containment:  5%

Cause: Human-caused, under investigation

Assigned Resources

Hand Crews: 10

Helicopters: 6

Engines: 60

Fixed Wing: 3

Dozers: 10

Water Tenders: 10

Total Personnel: 527

Current Conditions

The fire is burning up the south side of Yucaipa Ridge above the communities of Oak Glen and the North Bench area of Yucaipa. It has crested Yucaipa Ridge and continues to burn on the north slope towards the communities of Mountain Home Village and Forest Falls. There is one confirmed outbuilding destroyed with damage assessment teams currently working in the area to confirm the extent of the damage, the number of structures involved and their location.

The weather will remain dry and hot throughout the night with an elevated temperature and relative humidity at 20 percent. The winds will remain downslope at 3 to 5 mph with gusts to 10 mph. This will result in continued active fire behavior throughout the night. Life safety is always the priority. Fire crews remain protecting structures in the communities affected as well as using retardant and water drops from aircraft equipped for night operations to continue to build line around the fire.

Residents, please heed evacuation orders, and holiday travelers, please stay out of the fire area. Due to the number of fires across California and the West, firefighting resources are in short supply. All fire agencies involved have increased staffing to support firefighting efforts, however, we all need to assist in keeping the firefighters focused on firefighting and not on managing people.

CIIMT 11, a Type 2 Incident Management Team, is managing the El Dorado Fire for the San Bernardino National Forest in unified command with the City of Yucaipa, San Bernardino County Fire, Cal Fire BDU, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol.

CLOSURES AND EVACUATIONS (Holiday travelers, please note!)

ROAD CLOSURES

• Highway 38: Northbound Highway 38 is closed at Bryant Ave. and southbound Highway 38 is closed at the town of Angelus Oaks. 
• Oak Glen Road:  Closed at Pine Bench Rd on the east and Cherry Croft/Jefferson on the west.

EVACUATIONS

• Evacuation Order: Oak Glen (partial, see road closures), Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls and North Bench Yucaipa (north of Carter St. to Highway 38 and both sides of Bryant St., east & west).

SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST RECREATION CLOSURES

• San Gorgonio Wilderness: The entire wilderness area is closed, in addition to all inbound trails and associated parking lots, roads and trailheads.
• Other Trails: Big Falls, Oak Glen Divide, Wilson Creek and Santa Ana River Trail between the southern Forest boundary and Middle Control Road.
• Picnic Areas: Falls and Thurman Flats
• Camping: Thomas Hunting Grounds Yellow Post Sites
• Roads: Thomas Hunting Grounds Road (1N12), Morton Springs Road (1S13) and Warm Springs Road (1S12)

Note: All visitors should be prepared for the possibility of future closures at a moment’s notice.

Public Information:                                                   San Bernardino National Forest:               Twitter 

  Phone: (909) 383-5688                                             www.fs.usda.gov/sbnf                                  twitter.com/SanBernardio_NF

  Incident Website:                                                       Facebook: 

https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7148                facebook.com/SanBernardinoNF

INCIDENT INFORMATION

Start Date: 9/05/2020

Location: Oak Glen/West Yucaipa in

San Bernardino County CA

Size: 3010 acres

Percent containment:  5%

Cause: Human-caused, under investigation

Assigned Resources:

Hand Crews: 10

Helicopters: 4

Engines: 60

Fixed Wing: 3

Dozers: 10

Water Tenders: 10

Total Personnel: 527

Current Conditions:

The El Dorado Fire started yesterday at approximately 10:20 AM at the El Dorado Bike park off Oak Glen Road.  Due to very dry vegetation, very steep terrain and very hot weather, the fire has been extremely active. The fire is burning up the south side Yucaipa Ridge above the communities of Oak Glen and the North Bench area of Yucaipa. It has crested Yucaipa Ridge and is burning on the north slope towards the communities of Mountain Home Village and Forest Falls. Due to this steep ridgeline terrain, one main mode of fire spread is rollouts. These are fallen burning trees rolling down hill and igniting vegetation that burns back upslope. Rollouts are an especially dangerous situation for firefighters.

Today is the peak day of heat over the Labor Day weekend. Winds are light, 2 to 5 with gusts of 12 today and relative humidity is very low at 10%. Fire crews are doing structure protection in the communities and using retardant and water drops to build line around the fire.

Residents, please heed evacuation warnings and holiday travelers, please stay out of the fire area. Due to the number of fires across California and the West, firefighting resources are in short supply although all fire agencies involved have increased staffing to support firefighting efforts. We need to keep the firefighters we do have focused on firefighting and not on managing people.

As of this morning, CIIMT 11, a Type 2 Incident Management Team, is managing the El Dorado Fire for the San Bernardino National Forest in unified command with the City of Yucaipa, San Bernardino County Fire, Cal Fire BDU, San Bernardino County Sheriffs and California Highway Patrol.

CLOSURES AND EVACUATIONS:  (Holiday travelers, please note!)

ROAD CLOSURES: 

• Highway 38:   Northbound Highway 39 is closed at Bryant Ave. and Southbound Highway 39 is closed at the town of Angelus Oaks.  

• Oak Glen Road:  Closed at Pine Bench Rd on the east and Cherry Croft/Jefferson on the west.

EVACUATIONS:

Evacuation Order: Oak Glen (partial, see road closures), Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls and North Bench Yucaipa (north of Carter St to Highway 38 and both sides of Bryant St east & west).

SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST RECREATION CLOSURES:
- San Gorgonio Wilderness trails and trailheads: Vivian Creek, Momyer, San Bernardino Peak
- Other Trails: Big Falls, Oak Glen Divide, Wilson Creek
- Picnic Areas: Falls and Thurman Flats
- General Areas: Yucaipa Ridge, Mill Creek drainage and off-trail areas of the San Gorgonio Wilderness south of the San Bernardino Peak Divide Trail

NEW ADDITIONS:

- Thomas Hunting Ground YP

- 1N12, 1S12, 1S13, 1S03

- All of San Gorgonio Wilderness, trails, trailheads and associated parking lot roads EXCEPT for the PCT

- Santa Ana River Trail b/w 1S14 and Middle Control Road

CLOVIS, Calif. — The Forest Service announced the results of the investigation into the cause of the Creek Fire, a wildfire that began on September 4, 2020, and burned approximately 379,895 acres, destroyed 853 structures, and damaged an additional 64 structures on the Sierra National Forest below Big Creek. 
Despite an exhaustive investigation, the cause of the fire is officially categorized as “undetermined.” Fire investigators determined that the most probable cause was a lightning strike. Possible causes that were not excluded were deliberately and unlawfully setting fire to property (arson/incendiary) and smoking activities, such as tobacco. An “undetermined” status is not uncommon given the complexities involved. 

 CLOVIS, Calif., December 24, 2020 – For Immediate Release. With the recent change in weather conditions, Fire Officials with the Sierra National Forest are declaring the Creek Fire 100 percent contained.
The Creek Fire started the evening of September 04, 2020 in the Big Creek drainage burning an unprecedented 379,895 acres before being contained on December 24, 2020.
 
Due to the severity of the fire, many hazard trees now exist in areas where the Creek Fire burned.  Hazard trees along roadways, trails and in developed recreational areas can pose a risk to public safety.  Falling trees and large limbs are becoming more and more prominent in the forest as hazard trees that have been in place for extended periods, become increasingly unstable.  Active forest management measures remain in progress addressing the hazards caused by the Creek Fire. Situational awareness of the locations and conditions on the Forest by all members of the public is critical, to include avoiding areas where exposure to hazard trees could occur, and those areas that remain under a Forest closure order.
 
Because of the many hazards that remain, the Sierra – Creek Forest Order No. 05-15-00-20-22 maintains closure of the Creek Fire burned area, providing some access for recreation outside of this zone. For further information on the decision for the remaining closure, please go to the more detailed justification that can be found at this Link: https://go.usa.gov/xAbm9 
 
The current order is in effect through January 6th, 2021 where it will be reassessed. It is the intent of forest leadership at the conclusion of this order to open more general areas of the forest while focusing the remaining closure on specific roads and improved recreational areas that are not yet safe to utilize.
 
For further information regarding the Sierra National Forest and recreational activities please contact the High Sierra Ranger District office in Prather, Calif. at 559-855-5355; the Bass Lake Ranger District in North Fork, Calif. at 559-877-2218; or the Forest Supervisors Office in Clovis, Calif. at 559-297-0706. 
 
Please follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/SierraNF and Like the Sierra National Forest on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SierraNF, visit our website at www.fs.usda.gov/sierra. Know Before You Go: Become familiar with the area that you are visiting. Call the local Forest Service office near the area you will be visiting to check for conditions, restrictions and closures.