Update: Hill Fire at 800 Acres

Big Bear, Ca, September 2, 2011, 4:36pm - A wildfire began today at approximately 12:30pm in the Cajon Pass near Oak Hills.  The fire reportedly started in the center divider of the Southbound I-15, near Highway 395.  The fire has since grown to 800 acres, and there are mandatory evacuations are being called for homes in the Oak Hills area, as 800 to 1000 homes are threatened in that area.   According to John Miller with the US Forest Service the DC-10 air tanker has been called in, and water dropping helicopters are being utilized.  Due to the fire Southbound lanes on the I-15 have been closed at this time between Highway’s 395 and 138, and the Northbound lane has been opening and closing as smoke visibility permits. There are also reports of a small 3-acre fire off of Highway 173 on the outskirts of Hesperia, North of Lake Arrowhead.  Both fires are under investigation. Smoke may be visible this afternoon West of Big Bear, and is currently visible within a 50-mile radius of the fire. Keep it locked onto the Bear for further updates.

Suicide Investigation at Bear Mountain

Big Bear, Ca, September 2nd, 2011, 1:30pm -Today just after 11:00am, Sheriffs deputies received a report of a man down in the Bear Mountain Parking lot.  Deputies arrived and confirmed that the man was deceased.  A witness at the scene told KBHR that the man  jumped off the third floor balcony of one of the buildings at Bear Mountain.   The witness also said that there were reports of the man hanging around the Bear Mountain area for the last few days, and reportedly left a suicide note behind on his car.  The identity of the man has not yet been released, but it is thought that he is not local, and not a Bear Mountain employee.  The incident is under investigation.

Holcomb Fire

Big Bear Lake, CA, August 9, 2011, 7:00pm - The US Forest Service received a call of smoke in the area of Forest Road 3N12 in the Holcomb Valley area north of Big Bear early Tuesday afternoon, and started a full wildland fire response which includes fire engines, hotshot crews, helicopters and retardant airtankers. According to John Miller of the US Forest Service, San Bernardino County Fire Department as well as Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City Fire Departments also responded to the fire. Firefighters originally estimated the fire at 6-7 acres, burning in steep rocky terrain, surrounded by timber ranging from 130-150 years old. Along with the old timber, a significant amount of standing and downed dead trees presented additional challenges to the firefighters. Once firefighters gained the upper hand on the fire, accurate GPS mapping reduced the size of the fire to 3 acres. While firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading, control will take several days due to the terrain and heavy fuels. During the peak, over 200 firefighters battled the blaze from the US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, CAL FIRE, San Bernardino County Fire, Arrowbear Lake Fire, Big Bear Lake Fire and Big Bear City Fire departments. 10 Fire Engines, 6 hand crews, 5 water tenders, 4 helicopters, 2 airtankers and 1 air attack plane were utilized by fire crews. Residents and visitors to the Big Bear valley could see smoke to the north, as well as the helicopters dipping water from Big Bear Lake during the course of the afternoon. No evacuations were ordered and the threat to the mountain communities was eliminated in short order due to the quick and decisive actions by US Forest Service firefighters and assisting agencies.

DWP Acquisition Off The Table

Big Bear, Ca, July 21, 2011, 10:30am - The acquisition of the City of Big Bear Lake Department of Water and Power by the Municipal Water District, which has been undergoing an evaluation process for the past three months was terminated at the MWD’s meeting on July 21^st.  According to General Manager of the MWD, Scott Huele, the District Board identified four conditions they wanted to see satisfied to finalize the acquisition process. These conditions included a significant cost savings to the DWP and its customers, create efficiencies of scale – eliminating a layer of government in the valley, the resulting structure would be neutral or beneficial to the employees joining the District from the DWP, and the final condition was to not detract from the operation of the DWP or MWD.  After many meetings the MWD Board determined that organizational compromises required of the District as a consequence of the acquisition would negatively impact the mission of the District, as the impact on the District with the new structure of a shared general manager would require a significant reorganization of personnel and jobs.   Therefore the Municipal Water District and the Department of Water and Power will continue to operate as separate entities.

 

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Big Bear Rave Canceled

Big Bear, Ca July 15, 2011 5:00 pm – The summer rave concert that raised the concerns of parents and other local residents has been cancelled, according to the promoter’s page on Facebook.  Evollove, a new concert production company based in Big Bear City posted on Facebook on July 14 at approximately 7:00 pm, “I regret to inform you taht [sic] Summer Bear Beats has been shut down by Big Bear Sheriff Department. This is not the end of evollove Productions.”  On July 15 at 3:00 pm, Evollove posted that there would be a Hip Hop Show at Diamond Lil’s on August 27.  The production company’s information listed is limited to a post office box in Big Bear City.  No phone, email, or website contacts are included.  Currently only 17 people have subscribed to the page.

Highway 330 Permanently Opens Up!

UPDATE: Big Bear High School Yearbook Recall Hits National News

Big Bear, Ca, June 16, 2011, 3:00pm - Earlier this week KBHR reported that Big Bear High School had discovered an inappropriate picture in this year’s yearbook shortly after they began distribution.  High School staff immediately stopped distribution after learning about the picture, and has since requested that students bring their yearbook to the office to have the page containing the picture removed.  A replacement page has been ordered and will be given to students once it arrives.  On June 16th, the County of San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department released a press release to media outlets in San Bernardino about the situation, and described the picture as child pornography.  The Sheriff’s Department urges students who have not done so yet to take their yearbooks to high school staff to have it removed.  By not doing so students will be in possession of child pornography.  Public Information Officer for the Sheriff’s Department Cynthia Bachman told KBHR that if anyone has taken pictures of the picture, they are still in possession, and need to delete or destroy the images.  As of 2:30pm today the Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, USA Today, Sacramento Bee, and many other news organizations throughout California and the United States have picked up the story, and are reporting on it.  The Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident, and anyone with information regarding the investigation is urged to call (909) 866-0100.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Local Fire Agencies To Participate In Fire Training Exercise

Big Bear, Ca, June 16, 2011, 8:00am - This Saturday, June 18^th, local fire agencies will be participating in a live fire training exercise.  Residents should be aware of this exercise, as there will be visible flames, and smoke periodically from 9:00am to 3:00pm.  The location of the fire training exercise will take place at 787 Club View Drive, which is located at the intersection of Moonridge Road, and Club View Drive.  According to the Big Bear City Fire Department the residence has been condemned and was approved for this activity, and an incident action plan has been developed to manage this training exercise.  The fire agencies ensure that the necessary safety precautions are in place and have been well planned for, including proper permits, South Coast Air Quality Management District approval, necessary environmental studies, a water run-off plan, etc.  According to the Big Bear City Fire Department this project includes several months of planning and hard work. Local fire authorities have been working together as a team to provide this valuable training exercise.

BREAKING NEWS: Highway 330 Set To Open Friday Evening

Big Bear, Ca, June 15, 2011, 3:00pm - Great news for motorists who have been waiting for Highway 330 to open!  According to Terri Kasinga, Public Information Officer with CalTrans, Highway 330 is set to open permanently to two-way traffic after the recognition ceremony on Friday, June 17^th.  Kasinga told KBHR that flagging will still occur while repairs are being finalized, and a full closure may occur after the road is open, however, it would only be short term.  Repair crews have worked since last December to replace several portions of the roadway that were washed away during heavy winter storms.  “I’m amazed at the speed and quality of the work here.  Thinking back, the damage to the roadway in December was enormous,” stated Assemblyman Paul Cook. “Now, just six months later, we’re cutting the ribbon for the permanent reopening of 330, just in time for the Fourth of July weekend.  This is great news for the local economies in the San Bernardino Mountain region.”  The June opening beat early assessments, which estimated an October reopening. However, due to favorable weather conditions, and expedited contract work, repairs were able to move forward at an extraordinary pace.  Motorists will be able to access Highway 330 after the ceremony, which is set to end at 4:00pm on June 17^th.

Missing Person Kyle Anne Bates Found

Big Bear Lake, CA, June 5, 2011, 10:00am - Critical Missing Person Kyle Anne Bates was found Saturday afternoon at approximately 4:30pm at a residence in the 800 block of Wabash in Sugarloaf.  The property owner contacted the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station after noticing the missing person getting a drink from the hose in the back yard.  Medical aid was called to the Wabash address.  Bates was found to be dehydrated, but otherwise physically unharmed.  Bates was transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for psychiatric evaluation after being medically evaluated at Bear Valley Community Hospital. 

Big Bear Lake, CA, June 4, 2011, 4:30pm – According to Tiffany Swantek at the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station, missing person Kyle Anne Bates has been found safe. No further details are available at this time, pending an official press release from the Sheriff’s Department. We will provide updated information as we receive it.

« Previous Page — Next Page »