Lake fire in San Bernardino County burns 477 acres, prompting evacuation and road closure
Later Saturday afternoon, 100-foot-high flames broke out near the San Bernardino County reservoir, prompting road closure and evacuation, prompting more than 100 people to shelve the highway.
The fire, known as the Lake Fire, broke out shortly before 4 p.m. in the Silverwood Lake State Recreation area near Highway 173 and the Cedar Springs Dam Trail. By 7 p.m., the fire increased from 60 acres to 477 acres, according to California fire officials.
More than 100 people were in the reservoir when the fire broke out and was forced to escape from the flames. Rowingers and motorboats helped evacuate people from the beach to another area where they were taken to the roadside vote on Hubei Highway 173. Many people wear beach outfits and slippers.
Read more: Southern California is wary of severe wildfires during dry winter
Shaun Kirkman and his girlfriend Amber King are forced to flee.
“I was fishing in the west of the beach, in the vegetation,” Kirkman said. “The fire sounded like Velcro, so I kept fishing and then loud. I saw 100 feet of flames. My girlfriend and I ran there.”
Gloria Orejel, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said about 75 to 100 people camping in the area and were forced to evacuate everything they have. Park rangers helped people transport people to another location on the highway, she said. As of 8 p.m., the group had been brought back to their vehicle.
Authorities said an evacuation order had been issued. Evacuation warnings north of Highway 138, while south of the expressway between Interstate 15 and Highway 173 are under mandatory evacuation.
Cal Fire said it was unified command with local authorities including the San Bernardino County Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service. Firefighters have been fighting the fire on the ground and in the air. The reason is still under investigation.
On Friday, the Southern California Fire Chief warned that the catastrophic wildfire season could be a season in rainy and dry conditions.
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The story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
