Oak Glen Blaze Grows to 900 Acres
Just as the Station Fire near Acton exploded Monday to 85,000 acres, firefighters were handed another challenge.
Riverside County firefighters and other fcrews Monday worked to halt the Oak Glen fire, which charred 900 acres in San Bernardino County since erupting Sunday afternoon.
The fire was first reported at 1:45 p.m. Sunday near Potato Canyon Road and Oak Glen Road in the apple-orchard mountain enclave of Oak Glen, said Jason Meyer, a Cal Fire public information officer. Oak Glen is about five miles north of the Riverside County city of Beaumont.
Authorities said that winds later Monday could push the flames toward the Riverside-San Bernardino county line, Meyer said.
"Hopefully it won't," Meyer said. "Hopefully they will hold it there at Oak Glen Road. Right now that fire is bumping that road."
Mandatory evacuations were in effect for the south and southeast area of Oak Glen and voluntary evacuations were in place for the remainder of the town, according to Meyer. Firefighting efforts were being focused on protecting structures this morning, he said.
No structures had been damaged and no injuries had been reported as of mid-morning today, he said.
The fire nearly tripled in size overnight because of steep terrain, low humidity and high temperatures, Meyer said.
"It's really hot and dry today," Meyer said. "They're looking at temperatures over 100 degrees. Humidity is in the single digits."
Potato Canyon Road is below most of the town's homes, rustic farm buildings and orchards, as well as some of the densest, oldest chaparral surrounding the town. Above Oak Glen is densely forested Yucaipa Ridge, an area bordering the San Bernardino National Forest that has not burned in decades.
More than 1,000 firefighters, 41 engines, five water tenders, 18 hand crews, four bulldozers, seven helicopters and six air tankers were fighting the blaze, according to the U.S. Forest Service. More resources were expected later today, the USFS reported.
The Martin Mars, which has been stationed at Lake Elsinore, was pulled off the Cottonwood Fire between Hemet and Idylwild to make drops on the fire in Oak Glen, said Michelle Caldwell, a USFS spokeswoman.
The DC-10 tanker, which made drops on the Station Fire above La Canada Flintridge and Altadena, was also dropping water today on the blaze.
The total amount of Cal Fire-Riverside County units sent to the fire was unavailable this morning. Six hand crews totaling 80 firefighters, five engine crews with four firefighters to each engine and four chief officers responded to the blaze Sunday, said Cal Fire Capt. Jenn Ricci.
