The Bridge Fire in California grew 10 times in size over 24 hours to become the state’s largest wildfire, destroying at least 33 homes, as firefighters grappled with three major blazes.
One of the fires, the Line Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest, has resulted in the arrest of a man accused of “intentionally igniting” it, the sheriff’s office said.
The Bridge Fire, which sparked Sunday in Angeles National Forest, exhibited “extreme fire behavior,” jumping from 4,000 acres early Tuesday to 46,000 acres by evening, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The blaze expanded from Los Angeles County into San Bernardino County.
It was the largest active wildfire in the state Wednesday, spanning nearly 48,000 acres, and it was 0% contained.
‘It’s just so hard’: Bridge Fire destroys homes
Chuck Lyons was at his restaurant when the Bridge Fire prompted warnings to leave. His wife went home for 10 minutes to collect a few belongings and then left.
“I had a neighbor who lives across the street call me and said: ‘Your home is fully engulfed. It’s burning,’” Lyons said Wednesday near the wreckage of his house. “And I said, ‘No.’”
Only a chimney stood amid the wreckage of the Wrightwood home where he and his wife have lived for around 15 years.
Lyons said he first saw the home being built while he was working in construction in high school. He particularly liked the architecture and joked that maybe someday he would buy it. Years later, he and his wife did just that.
“You know, it’s just so hard to wrap your head around something like this. I really haven’t accepted it yet,” he said, adding: “It’s just total devastation. Our home is gone.”
Lyons’ home is one of around 33 officials believe the Bridge Fire has destroyed.
About 20 homes have been destroyed in the Mount Baldy area, along with 13 homes in the Wrightwood area and six cabins in the wilderness, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday.
There have been no reports of deaths or significant injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Video by the San Bernardino County Fire Department showed firefighters and deputies performing rescue evacuations in Wrightwood on Tuesday evening as flames consumed brush and trees.
The Bridge Fire is one of three major fires in Southern California — along with the Line Fire and the Airport Fire — which sparked amid an intense heat wave that brought triple-digit temperatures and dry conditions to the region.
The weather has been trending cooler, but it still posed an increased risk for fires. A “red flag” warning was in effect for areas around the Bridge Fire through 10 a.m. Thursday, and gusty winds could drive the fire farther east, the National Weather Service said.
Man arrested in Line Fire
Officials said Tuesday that a man was arrested and accused of sparking the Line Fire, which is burning in the foothills of San Bernardino National Forest, east of Los Angeles. The blaze spans more than 34,600 acres and is 14% contained.
Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, from Norco, started the fire in the area of Baseline Road and Alpin Street in the city of Highland on Thursday, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office alleged.
He was booked Tuesday at the Central Detention Center on a charge of arson and held on $80,000 bail.
Officials said at a news conference Wednesday that an automatic license plate reader flagged his vehicle near the area where the fire started and led investigators to look into him.
Officials said Halstenberg works for FedEx as a third contract delivery driver, but FedEx said that he is no longer working on behalf of the company and that he was not providing services on its behalf at the time of the fire.
A search warrant executed Tuesday led to the discovery of evidence “that supported his arrest,” said Jacob Hernandez, a detective with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
“It’s my belief that as time goes on and we allow [investigators] to do the critical work that they’re doing that we will actually find out this suspect may have been responsible for other fires,” San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said.
He said investigators believe Halstenberg set the Bridge Fire intentionally but did not disclose how he is believed to have done so, saying, “That will be one of those pieces of evidence that does allow us to connect it to multiple fires.”
The blaze has continued to grow in steep terrain described as difficult to access, and it has affected “key radio towers on Keller Peak,” hampering major communication channels used to respond to the incident, said Cal Fire’s unit that covers San Bernardino County.
Fire officials say public safety power shutoffs are anticipated for parts of Big Bear and Bear Valleys.
About 65,600 structures are threatened. Evacuation orders are in effect for the communities of Running Springs, Arrowbear Lake, Forrest Falls, Mountain Home Village and parts of Big Bear, along with more evacuation warnings.
Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency because of the Line Fire on Saturday and said the state National Guard will support the fire response.
Airport Fire: Thousands told to leave
Meanwhile, in Orange County south of Los Angeles, the Airport Fire had burned about 22,376 acres by Wednesday, the Orange County Fire Authority said.
It was accidentally sparked Monday afternoon by heavy equipment being operated near an airfield that hobbyists use for remote-controlled planes, officials said.
The fire was 0% contained, but Fire Authority Division Chief Kevin Fetterman said Wednesday that a change in weather overnight has helped and “we held the fire to minimal perimeter growth.”
Structures have been damaged or destroyed in the El Cariso, Long Canyon and CCC camp area, the county fire department said, but the exact number was not clear from officials.
Tens of thousands of people have been told either to leave or to be ready to leave.
More than 5,500 homes were under evacuation warnings, affecting over 19,200 people, and more than 9,500 other homes were under evacuation warnings, affecting around 33,500 people, Cal Fire Division Chief Todd Hopkins said.
On Tuesday, Newsom’s office said it had mobilized nearly 6,000 boots on the ground and hundreds of engines, 51 helicopters and 141 water tankers as the state fights 16 active wildfires.
Davis Fire burns in Nevada
In neighboring Nevada, the Davis Fire has also wreaked havoc, including near Big Bear, already lashed by the Line Fire. It spanned over 5,800 acres Wednesday morning and was 31% contained.
Hard work by firefighters “has really kept the fire in check” and in the perimeter, fire behavior analyst Stewart Turner said at a briefing Wednesday afternoon, but he said the fire may still make a run.
“We do see those winds out there, though,” he said. “The winds are gusting up to 40, 60, or 70 miles an hour, depending on the elevation.”
The blaze had started Saturday around Davis Creek Regional Park, just south of Reno, and it was burning heavy timber and brush.
On Wednesday, Clark County, Nevada, officials issued an air quality alert because of wildfire smoke from the multiple Southern California wildfires.
Winds have prevented aircraft from flying, but fire crews have water on the perimeter and have been mopping up hot spots, Jason Clawson, an operations section chief, said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
“At this time, we’re feeling very good,” he said.
Tuesday was the last day of high temperatures near the fires in Nevada and Southern California, and Wednesday will bring a cooling flow from the Pacific Ocean.
CORRECTION (Sept. 11, 2024, at 9:40 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misidentified the sheriff’s department Detective Jacob Hernandez works for. He is a detective with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, not the San Marin County Sheriff’s Department.