More homes in Rancho Palos Verdes landslide area to lose power
Sheriff's deputy pleads no contest in crash that killed 12-year-old boy
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VOL. 28,
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Fire unintentionally set by OC Public Works crew leaves path of destruction in Orange, Riverside counties
Bridge Fire near Glendora prompts evacuations, road closures
By City News Service
By Staff
T
he Airport Fire that began in an Orange County canyon and quickly swelled through vegetation and marched into Riverside County continued to spread destruction in both counties Wednesday, with an unknown number of structures damaged or destroyed. According to Cal Fire, seven injuries have been reported from the fire that began Monday afternoon, although no details were provided. As of Wednesday morning, the fire was estimated at 22,376 acres, with no containment. On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors approved an emergency declaration in response to the fire, in hopes of obtaining additional financial resources for the firefight and eventual recovery. Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom secured assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for all the fires in the state, including the Airport Fire, the Bridge Fire burning in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties and the Line Fire in San Bernardino County. The Airport Fire began about 1 p.m. Monday near Trabuco Canyon Road in the area of the remotecontrolled airplane airport, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Sean Doran. OC Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said that by Tuesday morning, the fire had raced up the canyons and hillsides and crested into Riverside County. The blaze also bore down on
Firefighters line up trucks Tuesday to defend an area from the Airport Fire. | Photo courtesy of OCFA PIO/X
Santiago Peak, which is home to a series of radio and television broadcast towers, used not only by local media outlets but also federal and local government agencies. The fire appeared to lap right up to the base of some of the towers, but the equipment appeared to escape any serious damage. By early Tuesday evening, the flames marched downslope toward Lake Elsinore, with video from the area showing some struc-
tures and vehicles consumed by flames. Ortega Highway was closed between Grand Avenue and Nichols Institute. That area had been under a voluntary evacuation warning, but late Tuesday morning, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for areas along the highway near Caspers Park. A mandatory evacuation order was previously issued for the Robinson Ranch community in Rancho
Santa Margarita. Voluntary evacuation warnings were in place for residents on Rose Canyon Road, Trabuco Creek Road, Trabuco Canyon Road, Trabuco Oaks Drive, Joplin Loop and Cook's Corner. Evacuation warnings were issued Tuesday for Silverado and Modjeska canyons. A "care and reception shelter" for evacuees was established at the Rancho Santa Margarita Bell Tour Regional Community Center, 22232 El Paseo. Large animals can be sheltered at the Orange County Fair Grounds, 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa. Some pets were being sheltered at OC Animal Care at 1630 Victory Road in Tustin, officials said. Mission Viejo Animal Services was also helping residents with shelter for pets. Additional evacuation warnings were also in effect for a host of Riverside County areas near the fire zone, generally in an area east of the Orange County line, north of the San Diego County line, south of Bedford Motor Way and west of Interstate 15. Early Tuesday afternoon, some of those warnings became evacuation orders, impacting an area generally north of the San Diego County line, east of the Orange County line, south of Lake Elsinore near the base of Ortega Highway and west of South Main Divide Road/Grand Avenue. An evacuation center See Airport Fire Page 28
A firefighting plane swoops in toward the Bride Fire near Glendora. | Photo courtesy of the Angeles National Forest/X
F
irefighters were working against high winds and low humidity to contain a nearly 48,000-acre brush fire Wednesday near Glendora that prompted road closures and evacuations. The Bridge Fire started around 3 p.m. Sunday near East Fork and Glendora Mountain roads, the U.S. Forest Service reported. The blaze increased from 4,100 acres Tuesday to 46,727 acres and spread from Los Angeles County into San Bernardino County by early Wednesday, when the latest acreage totaled 47,904 with 0% containment. The initial report assessed the blaze at 75 acres, but it swelled to 820 acres by 7 a.m. Monday with 0% containment as a result of high winds and low
humidity. By noon Monday, the fire had increased to 1,255 acres with containment still at 0%. Several homes were destroyed in the Wrightwood area, according to media reports. The fire also burned ski lifts at the Mountain High resort. Evacuation orders were also in place for: A mandatory evacuation order since Sunday evening is in effect for the East Fork areas of Camp Williams and the adjacent river community. An additional evacuation order was in place Tuesday for Mount Baldy Village from the San Antonio Dam to the Mount Baldy Resort. As of Wednesday these communities were under See Bridge Fire Page 28