(Rightallegiance.com) – Three fast-growing wildfires in Southern California have scorched over 100,000 acres in under a week, threatening homes and communities across multiple counties. Authorities have mobilized nearly 6,000 National Guard members, law enforcement officers, and first responders to the frontlines in an all-out effort to control the fires. Additionally, 51 helicopters, nine fixed-wing aircraft, and hundreds of fire engines, bulldozers, and water tankers have been deployed to battle the blazes.
The Bridge Fire
The largest of the three, the Bridge Fire, erupted on Sunday in the Angeles National Forest, approximately 31 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. By Wednesday, it had consumed nearly 48,000 acres across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The fire devastated Mountain High Ski Resort, where images showed the resort’s chairlift engulfed in flames, and posed a grave threat to the nearby mountain communities of Wrightwood and Mt. Baldy.
Despite massive firefighting efforts, the fire remained completely uncontained as of Wednesday, with at least 33 homes destroyed in Wrightwood and Mt. Baldy, and another 2,500 structures under immediate threat. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
“It’s just a nightmare,” said Lake Elsinore homeowner Candace Lace. “I had to call my girlfriend and tell her she was losing her home because I could see it on fire.”
Stephanie Beck, a Wrightwood resident, echoed the sense of urgency, describing how rapidly the fire spread: “We really didn’t even have time to think. It was just throw everything in the car and go.”
The Line Fire
In another part of Southern California, the Line Fire, which has burned over 34,000 acres east of Los Angeles since September 5, was connected to an arson investigation. Justin Wayne Halstenberg, a 34-year-old man from Norco, California, was arrested and charged with starting the fire near Baseline Road in Highland, according to local authorities. Halstenberg’s bail has been set at $80,000.
As of Wednesday, the Line Fire was only 14% contained and was threatening over 65,600 structures, including homes and commercial buildings. Fire officials have issued evacuation orders affecting 13,300 structures and warned that an additional 52,300 structures were at risk.
No structural damage has yet been reported, but three firefighters have been injured in the battle to contain the fire. Cal Fire warned that winds and dry conditions would continue to fuel the fire’s spread, but smoke from other regional fires could moderate its growth.
The Airport Fire
Meanwhile, the Airport Fire, which began on Monday in an unincorporated area of Orange County, had consumed over 22,000 acres by Wednesday. The fire spread into Riverside County overnight, and authorities reported it remained 0% contained.
This fire, too, posed a significant threat to structures, with 10,500 homes and businesses in its path. It had already injured five firefighters and two civilians. The Airport Fire was sparked by a public works crew working on a fire prevention project aimed at limiting public access to a dry, fire-prone canyon area.
1,400 homes in Robinson Ranch and Rancho Santa Margarita were under mandatory evacuation orders, with officials warning that the fire could spread south toward communities like Lake Elsinore and Dove Canyon.
Fire Season Worsens
California is currently grappling with 16 active wildfires that have already scorched more than 613,000 acres this season. Governor Gavin Newsom has requested federal assistance to secure additional resources to suppress both the Bridge and Airport fires.
So far in 2024, the state has seen 6,045 wildfires, burning over 900,000 acres, according to a statement from Newsom.