Big Bear News – Running Springs, CA –
UPDATE: July 6, 2020 – Firefighters responded to a wildfire reported shortly before 3:00 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2020, on City Creek Road (1N09) off Highway 330. The fire, which initially burned uphill toward the community of Running Springs, is currently 100% contained with no rate of spread. The fire’s size is reported at 62 acres.
UPDATE: July 4th, 12noon – The Mount R fire is now at 15% containment and has remained at 100 acres since last night. Roads 1N09 and Keller Peak Road remain closed. Fire authorities are utilizing multiple resources today including 2 strike teams, 6 crews, 4 water tenders, 1 dozer, 3 type-one helitankers, 2 type-two helicopters, 1 Air Attack and 2 Air Tankers. All mandatory and voluntary evacuations for the area have been lifted.
UPDATE: 7:09PM: Per CalTrans, Highway 330 has just reopened. Motorists should expect delays since the solar signal is still in place near the bottom of the highway and there are major delays during high traffic volumes. Travelers may still want to consider the alternative routes of Highway 38 through Mentone and Highway 18 to and from Lucerne Valley.
UPDATE: 6:50PM: Fire crews have made excellent progress on the Mount R fire, a vegetation fire that began at 3pm this afternoon in the area of Running Springs. The fire is now at 100 acres with 0% containment and a slow rate of spread. Firefighters will continue to work hot spots tonight and into tomorrow. Evacuations in the vicinity of Running Springs and the Kellar Peak campgrounds have been reduced from mandatory to voluntary. Hwy 330 remains closed between Highland and Running Springs. Travelers to and from Big Bear must use the alternate routes of Highway 38 through Mentone or Highway 18 to and from Lucerne Valley. Smoke from the Mount R fire is no longer visible in Big Bear and the smoke has greatly dissipated in Running Springs.
UPDATE: 6:15PM: All mandatory evacuations have been reduced to voluntary evacuations.
UPDATE: 5:45pm: The rate of spread has drastically slowed once the Mount R fire hit the fire retardant lines and remains at 75 acres. Air attack has cancelled the order for the additional VLAT air tanker and firefighters are making good progress. Smoke from the fire has significantly calmed down.
UPDATE: 5:15PM: Additional units have responded to assist the US Forest Service on the “Mount R” fire including San Bernardino County Fire . Air attack has requested that a night time air attack take over this fire beginning at 7:30pm this evening. A temporary flight restriction has been established near the Mount R fire to prohibit other aircraft from entering the area. The fire is now around 75 acres and has started to hit retardant lines and now has a slow rate of spread.
UPDATE: 4:30 PM Fire is now up to 65 plus acres and evacuations have been added for Keller Peak and all campgrounds in that area. Smoke is visible in Big Bear but is not a threat to the Big Bear Valley. The US Forest Service is receiving mutual aid resources and the VLAT, or very large air tanker, has been requested to assist in the efforts.
There is a rapidly developing vegetation fire in the area of Running Springs that broke out at approximately 3pm this afternoon prompting the closure of Highway 330 between Highland and Running Springs. The fire is being called the “Mount R” fire and was last reported to be at 50 plus acres with a rapid rate of spread. Structures are threatened and mandatory evacuations are being put in place for the Southern fringe areas of Running Springs to include South of Highway 18, South of School Road including all areas between Pine Manor and Cobblestone Lane. The USFS has requested additional resources and mutual aids have arrived on the scene. For travel to and from Big Bear, you must use the alternate routes of Highway 38 through Mentone or Highway 18 to and from Lucerne Valley.
