Big Bear News – Big Bear, CA – The Line fire is currently mapped at 43,978 and 87% contained with 1324 fire personnel working the fire as reported by the US Forest Service, CalFire, and the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. Highway 38 has reopened. Highway 330 remains closed from Highland Avenue to Highway 18 as CalTrans performs repairs to the road and guardrails.
Angelus Oaks has been lifted of all evacuations and Seven Oaks, Barton Flats and Pinezanita have transitioned to Evacuation Warnings. The closure orders for the San Bernardino National Forest remain in place.
Along Siberian Creek, crews successfully controlled hotspots with the help of aerial resources. Aircraft were used to extinguish hotspots in the Miles Creek area at the northern Santa Ana River drainage. Fireline is continuing to hold in this area. Firefighters continue constructing dozer lines and conducting backhaul operations.
In Angelus Oaks, a green island continues to burn safely, with crews continuing clean-up and suppression repair. Demobilization of some crews and resources will be happening over the next few days. Crews that remain will be focused on suppression repair, as well as direct and indirect line construction. The North and South repair groups are focused on road grading and clearing operations.
Winds have become more active, with gusts reaching up to 25 mph. Wind patterns will remain variable throughout the day, with particular gust potential near the Big Bear Airport. The forecast indicates temperatures will drop by 5 degrees in the coming days, but the wind remains the primary concern for fire activity. Inaccessible areas at the
confluence of Bear and Siberia Creeks are susceptible to slope reversals due to the continuing dry, hot weather patterns. Fire conditions remain challenging as the Energy Release Component (ERC) has reached the 95th percentile, indicating that the fire is primed for heightened activity.
