Thousands of people were forced to flee their homes late Tuesday as a massive blaze in southern California scorched more than 18,000 acres in the hills north of San Bernardino.
A fire fueled by swift winds, sweltering temperatures and dry brush sparked the mandatory evacuation of 82,600 people, who were told to pack up and leave their homes as night descended on the arid Cajon Pass east of Interstate 15.
The Blue Cut wildfire ignited at around 10:30 a.m. as temperatures skyrocketed beyond 100 degrees in San Bernardino. Within a day, authorities said the fire had torched at least a dozen homes on ranchland bordering the Mojave Desert.
A news helicopter hovering above watched as the hellish flames engulfed a white cross towering over the blackened hillside on Tuesday afternoon, when California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County.
By evening, the flames gutted the Summit Inn, a historic diner that opened in 1952 and once attracted drivers along Route 66. The restaurant claimed Elvis Presley was once one of their customers, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The fire also forced authorities to shut down Interstate 15 in both directions, stranding drivers for several hours.
At least 700 firefighters were tackling the blaze as of 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The flames briefly trapped a team of six firefighters as the fledgling wildfire first took hold of the region, according to San Bernardino County Fire officials. The smoke eaters were forced to take shelter inside a building that residents had refused to leave, according to KCBS-TV.
"We were fully engulfed in smoke," county firefighter Cody Anderson told the television station. "It was really hard just to see your hand in front of your face."
"We just hunkered down and sat there and waited for the fire to blow over," he said.
Anderson and another firefighter suffered minor injuries but he and his fellow first responders quickly returned to the frontlines to continue battling the growing inferno.
It’s unknown what caused the Blue Cut fire at this time.
The evacuations affected farm animals caught in the fire’s raging path, including geese, chicken, dogs and horses. Ranchers and pet owners were ordered to bring their animals to shelters in Apple Valley and Victorville.
The major fires smoldering throughout the state have been fueled by several years of intense drought in California.
Meanwhile, the Clayton Fire sparked by an alleged 40-year-old arsonist raged northwest of Sacramento and the Chimney Fire sizzled near San Luis Obispo.
Fire investigators accused Damin Anthony Pashilk of setting the Clayton Fire on Saturday and already it has scorched more than 4,000 acres.
Pashilk, a construction worker and former inmate firefighter, fought several brush fires in 2007 while serving a five-year sentence for drug possession and firearm charges.
He is also alleged to have set more than 16 fires near San Francisco in 2015.
read more
A fire fueled by swift winds, sweltering temperatures and dry brush sparked the mandatory evacuation of 82,600 people, who were told to pack up and leave their homes as night descended on the arid Cajon Pass east of Interstate 15.
The Blue Cut wildfire ignited at around 10:30 a.m. as temperatures skyrocketed beyond 100 degrees in San Bernardino. Within a day, authorities said the fire had torched at least a dozen homes on ranchland bordering the Mojave Desert.
A news helicopter hovering above watched as the hellish flames engulfed a white cross towering over the blackened hillside on Tuesday afternoon, when California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County.
By evening, the flames gutted the Summit Inn, a historic diner that opened in 1952 and once attracted drivers along Route 66. The restaurant claimed Elvis Presley was once one of their customers, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The fire also forced authorities to shut down Interstate 15 in both directions, stranding drivers for several hours.
At least 700 firefighters were tackling the blaze as of 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The flames briefly trapped a team of six firefighters as the fledgling wildfire first took hold of the region, according to San Bernardino County Fire officials. The smoke eaters were forced to take shelter inside a building that residents had refused to leave, according to KCBS-TV.
"We were fully engulfed in smoke," county firefighter Cody Anderson told the television station. "It was really hard just to see your hand in front of your face."
"We just hunkered down and sat there and waited for the fire to blow over," he said.
Anderson and another firefighter suffered minor injuries but he and his fellow first responders quickly returned to the frontlines to continue battling the growing inferno.
It’s unknown what caused the Blue Cut fire at this time.
The evacuations affected farm animals caught in the fire’s raging path, including geese, chicken, dogs and horses. Ranchers and pet owners were ordered to bring their animals to shelters in Apple Valley and Victorville.
The major fires smoldering throughout the state have been fueled by several years of intense drought in California.
Meanwhile, the Clayton Fire sparked by an alleged 40-year-old arsonist raged northwest of Sacramento and the Chimney Fire sizzled near San Luis Obispo.
Fire investigators accused Damin Anthony Pashilk of setting the Clayton Fire on Saturday and already it has scorched more than 4,000 acres.
Pashilk, a construction worker and former inmate firefighter, fought several brush fires in 2007 while serving a five-year sentence for drug possession and firearm charges.
He is also alleged to have set more than 16 fires near San Francisco in 2015.
read more
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