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Blue Cut Fire

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Blue Cut Fire
Smoke rises above the fire on August 17
Date(s)August 16, 2016 (2016-08-16)
LocationCajon Pass, San Bernardino County, California
Statistics[1]
Burned area31,600 acres (128 km2)
Ignition
CauseUnder Investigation
Map
Blue Cut Fire is located in southern California
Blue Cut Fire
Location in Southern California

The Blue Cut Fire, named after the trail where it started, is a wildfire in the Cajon Pass, northeastern San Gabriel Mountains, and Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.[1] The fire was first reported on August 16, 2016, at 10:36 AM just west of Interstate 15. As of 18 August 2016, the fire has burned 31,600 acres (49.4 sq mi; 127.9 km2) of land.[2] A red flag warning is in effect in the area of the fire with temperatures near 100 °F (38 °C) as well as winds gusting up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h).[3]

Events

Shortly after the fire broke out, evacuations began to be ordered for the nearby communities of West Cajon Valley, Lytle Creek, Lone Pine Canyon and Swarthout Canyon.[3] By 3:00 on August 16, less than 6 hours after the fire started, it had spread westward to over 5,500 acres (2,200 ha) forcing additional mandatory evacuation orders for most of East Oak Hills, Phelan, Summit Valley and South Hesperia.[4]

By Thursday, August 18, the fire had grown to over 31,600 acres (49.4 sq mi; 127.9 km2) and forced the evacuation of over 82,000 residents.[5] The evacuations affected an estimated 34,500 residences. A section of Interstate 15 is still closed.

Two firefighters were transported to the hospital Wednesday morning after becoming trapped while protecting homes in Swarthout Canyon.[6]

In a conference on Wednesday, the incident commander, battalion chief Michael Wakoski, stated that Cajon Pass acts as a natural wind tunnel, creating a funnel that can increase wind speeds by 20–30 miles per hour (32–48 km/h).[7] These winds were causing the fire to spot upwards of a half mile (0.8 km) ahead of itself.[7]

Effects

Due to the rapid growth and spread of the fire, fire officials ordered mandatory evacuations for over 82,000 residents in surrounding communities, including Wrightwood.[8] The Summit Inn, a historic U.S. Route 66 roadside diner built in 1952, was destroyed by the fire.[9]

On Tuesday, August 16 CalTrans closed Interstate 15 through the Cajon Pass.[10] This Interstate serves as the main route between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The northbound side reopened late Wednesday, August 17 while the southbound side reopened on the morning on Thursday, August 18.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Blue Cut Fire Fire Incident Information". Inciweb. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  2. ^ Jamieson, Alastair. "Blue Cut Fire Burns 30,000 Acres, Forces 82,000 to Evacuate in California". NBCNews.com. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Von Quednow, Cindy (August 16, 2016). "Evacuations, Road Closures Issued in Fast-Moving Blue Cut Fire Burning in Cajon Pass". KTLA. Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  4. ^ Quintero, Jose (August 16, 2016). "Blue Cut Fire in Cajon Pass up to 5,500 acres, evacuation area expanding". Daily Press (California). Retrieved August 16, 2016.
  5. ^ Mele, Christopher; Bidgood, Jess (August 17, 2016). "Tens of Thousands Evacuated as Fire Rages in Southern California". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  6. ^ Jameson, Alastair (August 17, 2016). "Blue Cut Fire Burns 30,000 Acres, Forces 82,000 to Evacuate". NBC News. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Live updates: Devastating Blue Cut fire in Cajon Pass consumes homes at rapid rate, burning out of control". Los Angeles Times. August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  8. ^ Times, Los Angeles (August 17, 2016). "Homes burn, thousands flee as out-of-control brush fire chars 30,000 acres in Cajon Pass". LA Times. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  9. ^ Noyes, Jack; Irick, Whitney. "Brush Fire Destroys Historic Summit Inn Diner". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  10. ^ Atagi, Colin; Ferreira, Gabby (August 17, 2016). "Blue Cut wildfire doubles to 46 square miles, evacuations continue". The Desert Sun. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
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