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Wind-swept flames charred over 2,500 acres in San Bernardino National Forest on Tuesday, but no structures were lost as The Pinnacles Fire made its way toward Apple Valley.
A mountain biker called 911 at 9:29 a.m. to report the blaze near the Pinnacles Staging Area for off-road vehicles just off Highway 173, a short distance from the Arrowhead Fish and Game Conservation Club's Shooting Range.
Arriving units began their assault on the 4-7 acre fire at 9:34 a.m. and immediately ordered aircraft to assist in their efforts.
“I heard the engines coming down Grass Valley Road,” Deer Lodge Park resident Stewart Poling stated while sitting on the deck of his home that overlooks The Pinnacles area. “I was relieved when the fire began moving away from Lake Arrowhead and Deer Lodge Park.”
At 9:37 a.m., firefighters reported spotting was occurring 30-40 feet ahead of the vegetation fire that eventually rushed all around the shooting range and up the steep, inaccessible hillsides and out towards Apple Valley.
California Highway Patrol and San Bernardino County Sheriff's department personnel responded to the area along with Caltrans crews to close roads in the area including Highway 173 to allow access by arriving U.S. Forest Service fire crews. A second alarm was quickly announced bringing San Bernardino County, California Department of Forestry (CDF), Crest Forest Fire, Running Springs Fire, Big Bear Lake and a host of other engines and water tenders into the area.
Grass Valley Road, a two-lane roadway that dead ends into Highway 173 about a half-mile from the shooting range quickly became clogged forcing additional law enforcement response to the area.
Long-time Deer Lodge Park resident Duane Banner, who had watched fire sweep through the area consuming about 60,000 acres in 1999 during the Willow Fire, quickly moved his tractor into place and began clearing an area around some new homes being built in the area.
“It appears to be moving away from us,” Banner said. “My wife, Carol, called me and told me to get home because something was happening as fire trucks with lights and sirens kept passing our house.”
Forest Service Incident Commander Randy Clauson eventually had over 500 firefighters on the blaze along with resources including engine companies, water tenders, dozers, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft.
Helicopters took water from Papoose Lake and Highway 173 near the Lake Arrowhead Marina quickly became a traffic nightmare as people stopped to observe the constant flow of choppers as they quickly filled their buckets and storage tanks and returned to drop water on the fast-moving Pinnacles Fire.
Lake Arrowhead Community Services District (LACSD) personnel at the Green Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant, about a half-mile from the start point of the fire, began filling a holding pond with thousands of gallons of treated waste water to help reduce the travel time for the choppers.
The incident commander was notified at 10:15 a.m. LACSD was already filling the holding pond. It was not clear at deadline whether the pond was every used in the aerial assault on the fire.
One casualty as the rapidly growing fire swept through The Pinnacles was the wooden guardrail on the Kinley Creek Bridge. Cones were placed on the edge of the roadbed to warn fire engines the guardrail was destroyed.
“A unit from Rancho Cucamonga made quick work of extinguishing the guardrail,” Forest Service Public Affairs Officer John Miller said. “It was burning when I drove across it.” The “narrow bridge” signs at both ends of the bridge were not damaged as the fire moved through the area, which is also known as habitat for the Arroyo Toad (Bufo californicus).
San Bernardino National Forest Ranger Allison Stewart was on scene most of the day and early evening as more and more fire personnel converged on the command center established at the U.S. Forest Service Rock Camp station.
“We're pleased that we had such a quick response,” Stewart stated. “The cooperation between the Forest Service and San Bernardino County Fire has been excellent all day as more resources rolled in. We were a bit concerned additional resources would not be available because of other wildfires in Southern California, but everything we've asked for has arrived and firefighters are making excellent progress on the fire.
“Our immediate concern this evening,” Stewart explained late Tuesday after officials declared the fire five (5) percent contained, “is for the high desert communities where the fire is bumping against the area where those folks live.”
Voluntary evacuations were ordered by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department in Apple Valley Highlands and the Mariana Heights area prompting officials to open an evacuation center at Victor Valley College. The Horseman Center in Apple Valley was established as an animal shelter.
Capt. Joe Catalano and Lt. Tony Nicassio from the Twin Peaks Sheriff's station spent considerable time at the command center and established contact with deputies in the Apple Valley area to help direct the evacuation plan, if necessary.
“I was working in Redlands,” Deer Lodge Park resident Mike Zetlmaier reported, “and as I drove up Highway 18 near Crestline I couldn't believe what I was seeing.”
INVESTIGATION
The cause of the fire that started within a few feet of Highway 173 is still under investigation. Several Forest Service law enforcement personnel and arson investigators spent hours at what was believed to be the ignition point combing the area for clues as to how the fire began.
Law Enforcement Officer Brad Burns said it was still too early to announce the cause of the wildfire. “It could have been any number of things including the exhaust of a car or off-road vehicle.”
Burns said that while the ignition point was near the shooting range it apparently did not play a role in the fire.
However, the California Department of Corrections brought in prison fire crews from as far north as Mariposa County and the shooting range was established as their base camp. Two helicopters landed on the actually shooting range to drop off firefighters and be equipped with buckets and snorkels by CDF crews.
It is another busy fire Season, and we are just about 3/4 the way through. It is terrible when the Santa Ana Winds are going to be blowing all weekend long and they are battling three major fires in the Southern California Area that will be effected by the Santa Ana winds. This places most of the California Fire Fighters in a very thin position trying to battle all the fires down here, especially when they start heading for the structures.
I wish that I was and could still fight fires to help in some way, as it is the only way that I can help is to rescue Livestock with a Stock trailer that I have!!
BSRanch
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