Final
Bridge Fire Update As
of 6:00 pm 9-10-03
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Hwy
330 will be open at 7:00pm 9-12-03
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Status
100%
Contained
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The Bridge Fire started at 3:04 pm on 9/5/03 in the vicinity of the City
Creek Fire Station on Hwy 330, 3.5 miles South of Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino NF. The Bridge Fire is being turned back over to the San Bernardino National Forest and a Type III Management team on Thursday, September 11, 2003 in the morning.
Fire rehabilitation is beginning and consists of working with areas that were impacted by fire operations. A Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation Team will continue working with hand crews this week. They will study the burned area and create prescriptions to mitigate damage and prevent future damage from winter rain.
Most crews have been released back to their home units or to other fires across the country. The Incident Command Post at the San Bernardino County International Airport will be breaking down as the incident winds down. |
| Web
Sites |
Mountain
Rim Fire Safe Council • San
Bernardino County Fire • CDF
• IncidentControl.com
• San
Bernardino National Forest • theBridgeFire.com
• rimoftheworld.net |
| Acres |
1,352
Acres |
| Cause |
Under investigation. |
| Closures |
Emergency fire closures are still in effect for Highway 330 between Highland and Running Springs. Highway 330 will remain closed until fire crews and other necessary operations are finished working alongside the roadway. Cal Trans is replacing 4000 feet of guardrail damaged by the fire in addition to replacing fire damaged warning signs. Edison and Verizon are still replacing telephone poles and wire burned in the fire. Road work could possibly extend into the weekend. CalTrans will continue to update the public on the status of Highway 330 Highway 330 remains closed until further notice.
Residents should use alternate routes. Highway 18 is open without restriction. Residences are asked to drive with caution as emergency crews are remaining to have a presence in the area.
|
| Concerns |
The Incident Management Team and the San Bernardino National Forest continue to focus on safety for residents and firefighters alike. The fire has burned in an area that has heavy brush and timber and is steep, rugged and inaccessible. The work the firefighters are doing is still in very difficult and dangerous terrain. The primary and overriding focus is keeping our firefighters safe from harm, while still accomplishing the mission.
|
Coroner's
Office Makes
Sweep |
The San Bernardino County Coroner's Office made an opportunistic sweep through the fire area because the fire exposed ground that had been covered with thick brush. They walked the area along Highway 330 but found nothing. |
| Containment |
100%
containment.
|
| Cost
To Date |
$3,211,000 |
| Equipment |
7
hand
crews, 4 helicopters, 5 engines, 5 water tenders. |
| Evacuations |
Mandatory Evacuation Lifted 
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has lifted the VOLUNTARY EVACUATION ORDER. The increased Law Enforcement staffing will be brought back to normal on Tuesday, September 9, 2003. The Incident Management Team wishes to thank all of the residents who cooperated fully in a successful and safe evacuation.
|
| Flight
Restrictions |
FFA Rule 91137 has been placed around the fire area restricting non-fire related aircraft movement. The restriction will remain in place until all fire activity ceases. |
| Fuel |
Grass
& Brush, with timber component in upper reaches of
watershed. Heavy Fuels. |
| Incident
Command |
Ralph
Domanski
Southern CA Incident Management Team II |
| Injuries |
7
injuries |
| Personnel
|
250
|
| Priorities
|
•
To provide for public and firefighter safety and protection of property.
• Keep the public informed about fire activity and evacuations.
• Minimize the impact of fire suppression efforts on the forest.
|
| Structures |
The fire
threatened 1500 homes and 3000 outbuildings. |
| Threats
or concerns |
1,500
Residence & 3,000 outbuilding/other |
| Weather |
Winds 5mph and temperatures in low 80's. Relative humidity is 50%.
Southern California Interagency Fire Weather
|
| Agencies
Involved |
USFS,
Running Springs Fire District, CHP, BDC, BLM, NPS, BIA, CDF, SB
County Sheriff, CalTrans, Animal Control, American Rd Cross, So Cal
Gas, So Cal Edison
|
| Contact |
(909) 355-8800 or (909)
383-5688 |
| Webmaster |
webmaster@incidentcontrol.com |
Special
Note |
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Narrative of Initial Start - Bridge Fire 2003 |
The Bridge Fire broke Friday afternoon
9-5-03 at 3:04pm along the west side of highway 330. The cause is under investigation and as yet undetermined. The Initial Attack Incident commander Mick McCormick reported it as five acres on arrival. By 8:30 in the evening the fire, which was called "erratic" by Forest Service Information Officer Tricia Abbas had consumed about 1500 acres. Humidity of around 50 % was causing the fire to lay down and slow the rate of spread. 65 engines and 24 hand crews made up a total manpower contingent of over 500 firefighters but more strike teams are being called in. There are already six strike teams on the mountain, plans for tonight were to get these crews rested and fed so they are prepared for what ever this fire throws at them tomorrow. As of 9:00 PM the fire was only 2% contained so there is much left to be done. Because the fire was erratic, it left many unburned islands of fuel. Crews did some burning out operations tonight when conditions were cooler with higher humidity to reduce these unburned areas.
1500 homes are potentially in the path of the fire with the leading edge of the fire only about 1 mile from the community of
Fredalba. Smiley Park and Running Springs are also threatened. District Ranger for the Mountain Top District, Allison Stewart stressed that the due to the intense public information program about the high fire danger, and fire safety in these areas, "the public is scared to death" and she asked that all fire fighters be sensitive to this when dealing with local residents. Between 800 and 1000 residents have been evacuated to Rim Of The World High School but the Red Cross states that the location can not handle this many evacuees and another location was being sought that could accommodate more people. The evacuations have been mandatory for Fredalba and Smiley Park, and voluntary for Running Springs. The San Bernardino County Sheriff is planning another evacuation sweep at 6:00 AM tomorrow. The Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council has already been involved with communicating conditions and instructions to the residents. Tracy Martinez, San Bernardino Fire, Public Information Officer, praised their work and was very impressed with how quickly they mobilized to communicate with the community. She said their participation made her job much easier. The command team is planning a community meeting for noon tomorrow to keep residents informed about the current situation, it's expected that as many as 1500 people may attend.
Tomorrow afternoon will be a key time for the battle against this fire, as the temperature increases. Fredalba was described as a warren of narrow twisty roads, and fire fighters will position shorter, narrower "Brush Engines" in the community to protect structures should the fire move too close. At present only one outbuilding has been lost, and the command team is determined to protect all the homes of the area, no matter how small.
While the fire is fought from the ground by engines, hoses, and hand crews, an air assault will be waged by over twenty aircraft. Fixed wing air tankers dropping Phoscheck fire retardant, and Helicopters dropping water were utilized today until dark. Nine air tankers have been requested for tomorrow along with twelve helicopters. The Incident command post which was at the City Creek ranger station today, will be moved to Norton Air Force Base tomorrow, and spike camps will established to support crews in the field.
If you live in the path of this fire, try to take comfort from the knowledge that hundreds of highly trained, experienced and professional firefighters, are risking their lives to protect your families, your homes, and our forests.
- Clint Kearns, WrightwoodCalif.com and IncidentControl.com
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