Residents flee as California and Nevada wildfires get dangerously close and forecasters warn of record heat
By Paradise Afshar and Cindy Von Quednow, CNN
(CNN) — Raging wildfires in California and Nevada have led to mandatory evacuations of thousands of homes, as forecasters warn of record heat in the West for the next few days. There are 14 active wildfires currently burning across California – with one so intense, it’s created its own weather pattern. Here’s the latest:
• California’s Line Fire explodes in size: The wildfire has consumed 20,553 acres as of Sunday after igniting at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains on Thursday. The blaze has more than quadrupled in size since Saturday morning. Authorities urged residents in several areas to flee as the massive blaze shot bright red flames and thick, billowing plumes of smoke into the sky. More than 1,800 fire personnel are battling the wildfire, which was 0% contained as of Sunday evening, according to Cal Fire. The blaze has injured three people, though authorities have not released any details about the extent of injuries.
Thunderstorm winds are causing “very erratic behavior” on the blaze and vegetation is “critically dry,” the agency said Sunday. Smoke continues to be an issue for firefighters and residents, and afternoon thunderstorms have the potential to cause new ignitions.
“Hot and dry conditions mixed with thunderstorms are expected to challenge firefighters for the next few days,” Cal Fire said.
The fire prompted a smoke advisory to be issued by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. As a result, the Rancho Cucamonga Fire District recommended residents stay indoors if possible, keep windows and doors closed and reduce outdoor activities.
A flash flood warning went into effect in Riverside and San Bernardino counties until Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service office in San Diego.
The storms producing localized, heavy rainfall are occurring near the Line Fire. The warning means flash flooding is ongoing or expected and could cause considerable damage. Landslides are possible, especially in recently burn-scarred areas.
Doppler radar-indicated thunderstorms are producing heavy rain across the warned area at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour.
• Line Fire creates its own weather: As it burns through acres of land, it’s creating its own weather in the form of pyrocumulus clouds. The clouds can create erratic winds that push the fire outward, spreading it farther and challenging firefighters. If it’s hot enough, the clouds can produce lightning and rain, called pyrocumulonimbus. They can reach heights of 50,000 feet and generate their own systems of thunderstorms.
• Thousands evacuated in California mountain communities: As the flames move dangerously close, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced mandatory evacuation orders for about 4,800 homes in the Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake areas. Hundreds more have been evacuated in the cities of Highland, Forest Falls, Mountain Home Village and Angelus Oaks. “The Line Fire is very active and spreading in receptive fuels,” Cal Fire said. “There are currently 36,328 structures threatened, including single and multi-family homes, commercial buildings, and other minor structures.”
Firefighters have been successful in protecting homes from flames, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Brent Pascua told CNN on Sunday.
“Firefighters have been successful so far, even with the unpredictability of this fire, and we tend to keep it that way, we’re ready to stand and fight,” Pascua told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield.
He added because of the unpredictability of the fire, all areas of the blaze are of concern for firefighters. “We have to make sure we have crews on all sides of the fire ready to stand their ground,” Pascua said.
• Bridge Fire in Angeles National Forest: A fire has rapidly grown to 800 acres since igniting Sunday inside the Angeles National Forest, just north of the Los Angeles metro area. Several roads in the park have been closed, forest officials said in a Facebook post.
• Boyles Fire near Clearlake, California: Multiple structures are burning near Clearlake, California, about 100 miles west of Sacramento. At least 30 structures are involved and about 4,000 residents have been displaced by the growing 76-acre fire, which Cal Fire said is 10% contained.
• Emergency declared in California: Gov. Gavin Newsom has proclaimed a state of emergency in San Bernardino County due to the Line Fire. He has obtained a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure the availability of vital fire resources, he said in a statement.
• Emergency declared in Nevada: On Sunday, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency due to the blaze, he announced on X.
• Nevada wildfire destroys structures: The Davis Fire, a dangerous, wind-driven blaze south of Reno, has burned about 6,500 acres, damaged or destroyed 14 structures and remains 0% contained as of late Sunday evening. Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue reported “Heavy aerial resources and multiple agencies working to stop this wind-driven wildfire.”
The fire has caused the evacuation of about 14,000 people in affected areas of Washoe County, and more than 6,000 residents are without power, the emergency declaration detailed.
“Gusty winds are forecasted throughout the week,” an update from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest said, adding customers who are currently without power should be prepared for prolonged outages and those who still have power “should be prepared for potential additional de-energizations due to the dynamic nature of the fire.”
NV Energy said it cut power “to prevent further ignitions and protect first responders.” It also asked those who still have power and are near the fire to prepare for potential outages.
“Power has been restored to 12,500 customers, but 6,300 remain without power tonight into September 9th,” NV Energy said in a social media statement.
• Sweltering heat will add to the region’s misery: Excessive heat warnings and advisories are in effect for southern California, the Desert Southwest and the northern Great Basin. Temperatures in Southern California range from 95 to 105 degrees – about 10 to 20 degrees above average for the region. An air quality alert has also been issued “due to heat wave and elevated fine particle pollution levels due to wildfire smoke,” according to the National Weather Service.
Residents on edge as massive flames approach
The Line Fire has grown more than 14 times in size in just over 30 hours, from about 1,180 acres at 5 p.m. PT Friday to over 17,200 acres Saturday night.
As the wildfire tears through the San Bernardino County mountains, some residents have tried to stop the blaze from reaching their homes.
Highland resident Brian Gano told CNN affiliate KCAL News he was trying to hose down the flames with his wife and son.
“The flames were right up on us because the wind shifted,” said Gano. “I got a high-pressure line in my backyard.”
Another resident, Diya Hirpara, said she’s been stocking up on groceries in case she needs to evacuate.
“It was pretty scary,” Hirpara said. “We’re just kind of on the edge, just waiting.”
Larissa Gonzalez said she was standing on Highway 18 in Lake Arrowhead on Saturday when she captured a storm rolling through the Line Fire. “There was a lot of thunder and lightning coming out of that flare-up; the wind was picking up and driving the fire over that ridge,” Gonzalez told CNN. She watched the storm for about an hour while parked in front of the Rim of the World High School to see what direction it was heading and to determine if she needed to start getting ready to evacuate.
Visitors to the area were also affected by the smoke and flames.
Mark Weidhase told CNN on Sunday he and his girlfriend decided to head to the mountains to escape the heat while visiting from Canada. As they were leaving Big Bear and heading through Running Springs on Saturday, they found themselves near the Line Fire. Weidhase said they pulled off Highway 330 to get a good look at the massive wildfire after noticing it was closed and receiving notice of an evacuation order. “I love the mountains, but not when they’re on fire,” he said.
Multiple agencies, including Cal Fire, San Bernardino County Fire and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, are working together to manage the fire. The American Red Cross has set up an evacuation shelter at a local church for residents seeking refuge from the fire.
California is seeing an active fire season. Wildfires have scorched over 838,000 acres throughout the state so far this year, compared to 255,144 acres by this time last year, according to Cal Fire.
Adding to the chaos, a pair of earthquakes struck Saturday near Ontario, California, within a half-hour of each other, jolting the already rattled region.
The first earthquake was recorded at 3.5 magnitude at 10 a.m. local time, and the next was recorded at 3.9 magnitude, according to data from US Geological Survey. It was felt by residents living as far away as Los Angeles.
CNN’s Faith Karimi, Ashley R. Williams, Artemis Moshtaghian, Sarah Dewberry and Eric Zerkel contributed to this report.
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