On October 26, 2006, five U.S. Forest Service firefighters from the San Jacinto Ranger District lost their lives in battling the Esperanza Fire when their apparatus, Engine 57, was overrun by flames. The individual responsible for setting the fire, Raymond Oyler, who had earlier been convicted of five counts of first-degree murder, was today (June 5) given the death sentence by … [Read more...] about Arsonist Raymond Oyler, Responsible for Esperanza Fire, Receives Death Sentence; Five Firefighters from Engine 57 Lost Their Lives in 2006 Blaze
Fire/Safety
Firefighting Crews Battling 24 Fires on the San Bernardino National Forest; Monitoring Continues Today, Though (Still) No Fires in Big Bear
There are now 24 fires burning on the San Bernardino National Forest, however most of these are single tree fires, and most of them sparked by lightning this week. Additional fires were spotted this morning in the San Gorgonio wilderness area, bringing the current number of fires on the forest to 24—though none of these fires are burning in the Big Bear Valley. Of the blazes … [Read more...] about Firefighting Crews Battling 24 Fires on the San Bernardino National Forest; Monitoring Continues Today, Though (Still) No Fires in Big Bear
Forest Service Crews Continue Battling Peak Fire, Surveying for Additional Lightning-Sparked Fires; No Fires in Big Bear Valley and All Roads Are Open
Firefighting crews made good progress on a number of fires that, yesterday, were sparked by lightning; none of these fires, however, were in our immediate area. In a conversation with John Miller, public information officer for the San Bernardino National Forest this morning, he tells KBHR, “Of the 22 fires we had yesterday, we had some that the weather would not allow us to … [Read more...] about Forest Service Crews Continue Battling Peak Fire, Surveying for Additional Lightning-Sparked Fires; No Fires in Big Bear Valley and All Roads Are Open
Lightning Strike Fires Today in the San Bernardino Mountains
According to John Miller, the Information Officer for the U.S. Forest Service, fire agencies tackled 15 lightening strike fires today. The largest of the fires is the McKinley fire located near the City of Highland and was last recorded to be at over 100 acres. However, crews are building a fire line around the perimeter of the McKinley fire this afternoon. John Miller … [Read more...] about Lightning Strike Fires Today in the San Bernardino Mountains
Highway 330 Re-Opens
Highway 330 has re-opened after being temporarily closed by the U.S. Forest Service due to fire activity near the highway below Running Springs. At this time, all routes in, out and around Big Bear are open. As of 12:15pm, lightening strikes have resulted in a at least a dozen small fires in the San Bernardino. The largest of the fires is the McKinley fire that has grown to … [Read more...] about Highway 330 Re-Opens