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Bridge Fire

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Coordinates: 34°14′20″N 117°45′43″W / 34.239°N 117.762°W / 34.239; -117.762
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Bridge Fire
The Bridge Fire seen from the air on September 9
Date(s)
  • September 8, 2024 (2024-09-08) –
  • November 26, 2024 (2024-11-26)
  • (102 days)
Location
Coordinates34°14′20″N 117°45′43″W / 34.239°N 117.762°W / 34.239; -117.762
Statistics
Perimeter100% contained
Burned area56,030 acres (22,675 ha; 88 sq mi; 227 km2)
Impacts
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries8
Structures destroyed81 (17 damaged)
Ignition
CauseUnder investigation
Map
The area burned in the Bridge Fire
The area burned in the Bridge Fire
Refer to caption
Refer to caption
The general location of the fire in Greater Los Angeles
Refer to caption
Refer to caption
General location of the fire in California

The Bridge Fire was a destructive wildfire in the Angeles National Forest in Southern California's Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The fire began on September 8. As of November 26, 2024, the fire burned 56,030 acres (22,670 hectares) and is 100 percent contained.[1] The cause of the fire is under investigation.[2] It is the third-largest wildfire of California's 2024 fire season[3] The fire threatened the area of Jackson Lake, with mandatory evacuation orders in place. As of November 26, the fire has affected at least 100 structures total.[4]

Background

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The Bridge Fire burned in an area with little to no recent fire history.[5] Two prior wet winters contributed to the growth of vegetation in the fire area. Weather conditions, including gusty southwest winds and low relative humidity, led to a Red Flag Warning to be issued[6] and allowed for rapid fire growth.[7]

The Bridge Fire burned simultaneously with the 39,232-acre (15,877 ha) Line Fire in San Bernardino County and the 23,519-acre (9,518 ha) Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside Counties.[3] The three concurrent wildfires strained the capacities of Southern California fire agencies, leading them to request additional resources from Northern California and other states.[8][9]

Progression

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The Bridge Fire began at 2:12 p.m. PDT on Sunday, September 8, 2024.[10][11] The cause of the fire is under investigation.[8][11] It ignited near Cattle Canyon Bridge, for which it was named,[12] in the vicinity of East Fork Road and Glendora Mountain Road in San Gabriel Canyon.[13]

The fire spread to 800 acres (320 ha) by early Sunday evening.[13] At 7:15 p.m., an evacuation order was issued for two populated areas in the East Fork San Gabriel River canyon, Camp Williams and River Community.[14][15]

By Monday, September 9, the fire had burned 1,255 acres (508 ha).[16] At 5:30 p.m., mandatory evacuation orders were issued for Mount Baldy Village, extending between the San Antonio Dam and Mount Baldy Resort. By that night the fire had burned 2,995 acres (1,212 ha). Firefighters were concentrated on halting the southward progression of the fire and protecting homes in the East Fork San Gabriel River area.[17]

On Tuesday, September 10, the fire "exploded" to the north and northeast and grew considerably, from about 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) to more than 34,000 acres (14,000 ha) within hours.[18] It continued to grow overnight, burning an additional 13,000 acres (5,300 ha) on its northern and eastern flanks as firefighters prioritized protecting buildings in Wrightwood, Piñon Hills, and Mount Baldy Village.[19] Thousands of people fled those communities, and some reported receiving no evacuation warning before being forced to leave immediately.[20] The Chief Executive Officer of San Bernardino County issued a proclamation of a local emergency in the county.[4]

On Wednesday, September 11, 480 firefighting personnel were assigned to the Bridge Fire and California governor Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation of a state of emergency in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.[18][4]

By September 12, the fire had burned 51,792 acres (20,959 ha) and was zero percent contained.[10]

Three percent of the fire perimeter was reported as contained on September 14.[20]

On September 15, 2,600 emergency personnel were fighting the fire and had increased containment to nine percent. Cal Fire said that the crews had contained the spread of the fire overnight to be "minimal" at 800 acres.[21] Helicopters were unable to fly the prior night due to the smoke hampering visibility.[22]

By September 19, the fire burned 54,795 acres (22,175 ha). Containment reached 49 percent with progress continuing as two evacuation orders have been downgraded to warnings and one evacuation warning was lifted.[23]

By Thursday, September 26, the fire had burned 54,878 acres (22,208 ha) acres and was 97 percent contained.[11]

Effects

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Eight firefighters were injured in the course of the fire; according to the Forest Service, none of the injuries were major.[11]

Evacuations and closures

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The fire prompted evacuation orders for the communities of Camp Williams, River Community, Wrightwood, and Mount Baldy.[13][24]

Damage

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The Bridge Fire destroyed at least 81 buildings and damaged 19 more: 20 homes were lost in Mount Baldy Village, three homes were lost in Wrightwood, and six cabins burned in the mountain wilderness.[15] The fire also burned the visitor center building at Grassy Hollow.[12] Ski lifts were destroyed at the Mountain High ski resort, but staff there used snowmaking machines to wet nearby vegetation and the resort itself "[appeared] to be mostly unharmed by fire", according to CBS News.[15] Two shacks and equipment belonging to the resort's ski patrol team were destroyed.[25]

The Bridge Fire burned multiple popular hiking trails in the San Gabriel Mountains. Twelve miles (19 km) of the Pacific Crest Trail between Vincent Gap and Wright Mountain burned, as did portions of the Bridge to Nowhere trail, the Old Mount Baldy Trail, the Bear Canyon Trail, and others.[12]

Political response

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The state of California requested a Fire Management Assistance Grant—which allows the federal government to cover a certain percentage of eligible firefighting costs—from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on September 10. FEMA granted the request at 9:18 p.m.[26] Los Angeles County supervisor Lindsey Horvath signed a declaration of a local emergency.[15]

On October 7, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion establishing multiple task forces for Economic Recovery, Watershed Hazard Assessment, Health and Social Services, Debris Removal and Rebuild, and Natural and Cultural Resources.[27]

Growth and containment table

[edit]
Fire containment status
Gray: contained; Red: active; %: percent contained
Date Total area burned Personnel Containment
Sep 8[28] 800 acres (3 km2) ...
0%
Sep 9[29] 2,995 acres (12 km2) 250
0%
Sep 10[30] 34,240 acres (139 km2) 471
0%
Sep 11[31] 49,008 acres (198 km2) 471
0%
Sep 12[32] 51,167 acres (207 km2) 408
0%
Sep 13[33] 52,960 acres (214 km2) 408
3%
Sep 15[34] 54,567 acres (221 km2) 2625
9%
Sep 17[35] 54,795 acres (222 km2) 2727
25%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Bridge Fire | CAL FIRE". www.fire.ca.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  2. ^ Gomez, Julia. "Bridge Fire destroys 54 structures, injures 3 firefighters: See wildfire map". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  3. ^ a b Wenzke, Marissa; Fioresi, Dean; Rodriguez, Matthew; Salem, Iris (September 11, 2024). "Line Fire in Southern California scorches more than 34,000 acres as thousands flee their homes". CBS News. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Bridge Fire". Preparedness Starts Here. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  5. ^ "CalTopo Backcountry Mapping". CalTopo. September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.[unreliable source?]
  6. ^ "IEM". IEM. September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  7. ^ Fry, Hannah; Ferazzi, Gina; Ahn, Ashley; Lin, Summer (September 11, 2024). "SoCal mountain communities under siege, homes burn as massive fires explode". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Graff, Amy (September 11, 2024). "Three raging wildfires bring devastation to Southern California". SFGate. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  9. ^ Jeong, Helen (2024-09-11). "Bridge Fire in Angeles National Forest becomes 8 times bigger". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 2024-09-11. As Southern California battled other major fires, including the Airport Fire in Orange County and the Line Fire in San Bernardino County, fire departments were faced with "stressing" resources, prompting LA County officials to asking for support from Northern California and other states, Marrone said.
  10. ^ a b "Bridge Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d Gonzales, Ruby (September 26, 2024). "Cause of 54,000 acre Bridge fire remains under investigation". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c Cosgrove, Jaclyn (September 27, 2024). "These hiking trails are closed because of the Southern California wildfires". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  13. ^ a b c Fioresi, Dean (September 10, 2024). "Bridge Fire in California's Angeles National Forest grows to 3,000 acres, evacuations and road closures in place". CBS News. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  14. ^ Fonseca, Ryan; Hubbard, Amy (September 8, 2024). "Bridge fire in Angeles National Forest blackens 800 acres; visitors, residents flee". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d Sharp, Julie (September 11, 2024). "California's Bridge Fire destroys 33 homes after exploding overnight". CBS News. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  16. ^ Gonzales, Ruby; Klick, Andrea (September 9, 2024). "Baldy Village ordered evacuated as Bridge fire burns in Angeles National Forest". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  17. ^ Fry, Hannah; Lin, Summer; Serna, Joseph (September 9, 2024). "Skies above Southern California wildfire looked like 'a nuclear warhead had been set off'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Sharp, Julie (September 11, 2024). "California's Bridge Fire explodes overnight, spanning 2 counties, Wrightwood community evacuated". CBS News. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  19. ^ "Bridge Fire Morning Update 09-11-2024". InciWeb. September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Wenzke, Marissa (September 24, 2024). "Nearly all evacuations lifted in Bridge Fire after it became California's largest active wildfire". CBS News. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  21. ^ Brennan, David; Hutchinson, Bill (2024-09-15). "California Wildfires updates: Firefighters score success in containment battle". ABC News. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  22. ^ report |, Staff (2024-09-15). "Bridge fire map shows more than 50 homes and structures destroyed or damaged". Daily News. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  23. ^ Sharp, Julie; Wenzke, Marissa; Salem, Iris (2024-09-17). "Crews make "great progress" on containment of California's Bridge Fire - CBS Los Angeles". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  24. ^ Gonzalez, Ruby (September 10, 2024). "Evacuation ordered in Wrightwood as Bridge fire continues to burn in the Angeles National Forest". The Orange County Register. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  25. ^ Dallow, Lily (September 23, 2024). "Mountain High Ski Patrol buildings and gear destroyed in Bridge Fire". KTLA. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  26. ^ "FEMA Fire Management Assistance Granted for the Bridge Fire". FEMA.gov. September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  27. ^ "LA County to establish task forces for Bridge Fire recovery". KNBC. City News Service. October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  28. ^ DuBose, Josh (September 8, 2024). "Bridge Fire in San Gabriel Canyon prompts road closures, evacuations". KTLA. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  29. ^ "Bridge Fire Evening Update, 09-09-24". InciWeb. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  30. ^ "Sept 10, Bridge Fire Evening Update". InciWeb. September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  31. ^ "Bridge Fire: Incident Overview". InciWeb. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  32. ^ "Bridge Fire: Incident Update on 09/12/2024 at 3:53 PM | CAL FIRE". www.fire.ca.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-13.
  33. ^ "Bridge Fire: Incident Update on 09/13/2024 at 7:05 PM | CAL FIRE". www.fire.ca.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  34. ^ "Bridge Fire: Incident Update on 09/15/2024 at 10:42 AM | CAL FIRE". www.fire.ca.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-15.
  35. ^ "Bridge Fire: Incident Update on 09/17/2024 at 7:26 AM | CAL FIRE". www.fire.ca.gov. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
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