A wildfire in the foothills of a national forest east of Los Angeles, the Line Fire, endangered tens of thousands of buildings and forced hundreds of residents to flee on Sunday amid a heatwave of triple-digit temperatures. The blaze had burned about 27 square miles of grass and chaparral, releasing a thick cloud of dark smoke. Creating its own thunderstorm-like weather systems of pyroculumus clouds, the fire presented additional challenges to firefighters including gusty winds and lightning strikes due to the hot conditions. Steep terrain limited the ability to control the blaze, leaving it uncontained on Sunday.
County officials declared an emergency and issued evacuation orders for areas such as Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake. Residents like Steven Michael King and Michael Lee left their homes with few belongings, fearing they wouldn’t be able to escape if situation worsened. State firefighters reported three injuries and stated that over 35,000 structures were under threat, including homes and commercial buildings. The arrival of thunderstorms later in the day was predicted to further challenge firefighting efforts over the coming days.
The affected area near small mountain towns in the San Bernardino National Forest is popular with skiers and mountain bikers. Smoke from the fire had travelled to downtown San Bernardino, prompting residents in surrounding areas to prepare for potential evacuation. The fire forced the Redlands Unified School District to cancel classes for around 20,000 students on Monday. Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County as the fire continued to pose a significant threat.
In a separate incident, a vegetation fire in Clearlake City, north of San Francisco, was forcing roughly 4,000 people to evacuate and burning structures Sunday afternoon. Firefighters were making progress against the fire, which had destroyed homes and commercial buildings. Looking ahead, more firefighters were scheduled to arrive in San Bernardino County. Dry vegetation and high temperatures exacerbated the fire’s spread, which began on Thursday and was still under investigation as of Sunday.
Over 600 firefighters were working to contain the Line Fire with the support of water-dropping helicopters and other aircraft. Although the fire produced dense clouds of smoke and was visible in hillside ridges, no homes or structures had been damaged or destroyed. The situation remained volatile due to the weather conditions and the challenging terrain, with the possibility of new ignitions and fire activity around the perimeter. The emergency response efforts were ongoing, with a focus on protecting lives and properties in the affected areas.
