Where wildfires are burning: Firefighters make progress, increase containment of multiple fires
Updated: 10 a.m., Monday
Santa Ana winds that drove fires through two Southern California areas have died down, but flames that destroyed dozens of homes and killed three people continue to rage.
A blaze in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles was only 41 percent contained Sunday after destroying at least 21 structures. One man who tried to fight the blaze died of a heart attack.
The fast-moving fire kept tens of thousands of people from returning to their homes, but evacuations have since been lifted.
The fire broke out Thursday, just hours after flaming garbage in a trash truck sparked another wind-whipped blaze that ravaged a mobile park in Calimesa, east of downtown Los Angeles.
A second body was found at a mobile home park where 74 structures were destroyed Thursday in Calimesa after officials previously reported one death at the community east of Los Angeles.
Here are wildfires that have burned in California this week, as of 10 a.m. Monday:
Saddleridge Fire
Where: Near Sylmar, Los Angeles County
Size: 7,965 acres
Status: 43 percent containment; evacuations lifted
Injuries: 3 firefighters
Deaths: 1 civilian
Containment is inching up on a smoky Los Angeles wildfire that damaged or destroyed more than 30 structures, as crews take advantage of calmer winds and cooler temperatures.
Officials say the blaze in the San Fernando Valley hasn’t grown significantly since Friday. It was 43 percent contained as of Monday morning.
One man who tried to fight the blaze died of a heart attack, and three firefighters suffered minor injuries. At least one commercial building and several homes were destroyed in the fire.
Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said the bulk of the fire had moved away from homes and into rugged hillsides and canyons where firefighters were making steady progress slowing its advance. Television footage showed plumes of smoke rising from the area but no walls of towering flame, as a water-dropping helicopter moved in to dump another cascade on the blaze.
Some 100,000 residents were ordered out of their homes because of the wind-driven wildfire that broke out Thursday evening in the San Fernando Valley. It spread westward through tinder-dry brush in hilly subdivisions on the outskirts of the nation’s second-largest city. All evacuation orders were lifted as of 4:45 p.m. on Saturday.
Air quality is poor as smoke from the fire settles over much of greater Los Angeles.
At over 7,900 acres, the blaze is the second biggest wildfire of 2019, behind only the 14,217-acre Tucker Fire.
The cause of the blaze wasn’t immediately known, though arson investigators said a witness reported seeing sparks or flames coming from a power line near where the fire is believed to have started, said Peter Sanders, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Caples Fire
Where: Eldorado National Forest, El Dorado County
Size: 3,042 acres
Status: 42 percent contained
Firefighters made good progress tying in containment lines over the weekend to contain a wildfire that began as a prescribed burn nearly two weeks ago, the U.S. Forest Service said in a news release Sunday night . The fire is burning 3 miles west of the Kirkwood resort areas and 15 miles south of South Lake Tahoe.
“Today’s burning and the fire’s natural progression in the past three days has been a low intensity underburn, consistent with the objectives of the ecological restoration project,” officials from the Eldorado National Forest said Sunday night. “
The prescribed burn operation began Sept. 30 following rain and snowstorms, part of a “multiyear forest restoration project” to reintroduce fire to the forest in an effort to make it more healthy and resilient, the U.S. Forest Service said. Strong winds that were forecast for days arrived on Wednesday and pushed the fire beyond the prescribed areas, officials said.
By declaring it a wildfire, federal officials were able to get resources from Cal Fire and other agencies to fight the blaze.
Smoke from the fire has drifted into the Sacramento region, prompting officials to issue a Spare the Air advisory. The air quality remains moderately polluted Monday, according to the Sacramento Air Quality Management District.
“Unusally sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion,” the district said.
Merrill Fire
Where: Moraga, Contra Costa County
Size: 40 acres
Status: Contained
The fast-spreading wildfire broke out shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday in the Contra Costa County town of Moraga, prompting evacuation orders in the middle of the night for dozens of homes, but firefighters halted forward progress on the fire at about 3:30 a.m. and the evacuation orders were lifted, according to the Merrill-Orinda Fire Department and the Cal Fire Santa Clara Unit. The fire ignited near Merrill Drive and Mulholland Circle in Moraga. Videos of the blaze posted to social media showed flames lighting up the hills around Moraga’s Sandy Ranch neighborhood.
Briceburg Fire
Where: Mariposa County
Size: 5,563 acres
Status: 75 percent contained, evacuations lifted
A wildfire burning since last week in Mariposa County remained at more than 5,000 acres as of Monday morning, according to Cal Fire, with little development overnight.
The Briceburg fire is burning near the entrance to Yosemite National Park, which remained open. All mandatory evacuation orders were lifted at 1 p.m. Friday. Highway 140 is reopened, but Buffalo Gulch Road is open to residents only, Cal Fire said.
One structure has been destroyed by the fire.
“Minimal fire activity was reported overnight,” Cal Fire’s incident page reported. “Mop-up and suppression repair activites will continue today.”
Sandalwood Fire
Where: Riverside County
Size: 1,011 acres
Status: 94 percent contained
Deaths: 2
The Sandalwood Fire ignited Thursday when a trash truck’s load of burning trash spread to vegetation, Cal Fire said. The fire destroyed at least 74 structures, damaged 16 structures and killed two people as it burned burned through a mobile home park in Calimesa.
Family members of Lois Arvickson confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the 89-year-old died in the fire at the Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park.
Arvickson called her son from her cellphone to say she was evacuating shortly after the blaze was reported in the Calimesa area. Don Turner says his mother said she was getting her purse and getting out. But then the line went dead.
An evacuation order were lifted Monday morning, but the Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park “remains uninhabitable and closed due to unsafe conditions,” according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Wolf Fire
Where: Riverside County
Size: 75 acres
Status: Contained
The Wolf Fire was burning in Riverside County along with the Sandalwood Fire and Reche Fire. It was ignited Thursday at 5:08 p.m. Evacuation warnings were issued for South Highland Springs, south of Interstate 10 and west of South Highland Home Road, including the Sun Lakes and Four Seasons communities.
The fire reached full containment at 5:26 p.m. on Saturday.
Reche Fire
Where: Riverside County
Size: 350 acres
Status: Contained
The Reche Fire began Thursday at 12:54 p.m. when firefighters responded to a trailer fire that spread to vegetation, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. Evacuation orders have been lifted and firefighters continue to work to strengthen containment lines.
One structure was damaged and one was destroyed as of Sunday morning.
Bitter Fire
Where: San Luis Obispo County
Size: 30 acres
Status: Contained
The Bitter Fire started Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. off of Highway 46 and Bitterwater Road in San Luis Obispo. A fire with the same name that started on the same road occurred in July 2019. That fire burned 120 acres before being contained. The fire was declared fully contained and extinguished just before 4:30 p.m. Friday.
This report was compiled by The Bee’s Daniel Hunt, Mack Ervin III, Michael McGough, Molly Sullivan and Vincent Moleski. The Associated Press also contributed to the story.
This story was originally published October 9, 2019 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Where wildfires are burning: Firefighters make progress, increase containment of multiple fires."
