Oct 4, 2009 7:46 pm US/Pacific
7,500-Acre Sheep Fire Forces Thousands To Evacuate
All Residents In Wrightwood Under Mandatory Evacuation Orders
WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. (CBS) ―
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A NewsCentral viewer submitted this photo of the fast-moving Sheep fire that's making its way towards homes in Wrightwood. (File)
CBS
A wind-driven wildfire that charred some 7,500 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains continued to rage Sunday as firefighters worked to prevent flames from advancing toward a mountain resort community.
The Sheep fire, driven by wind gusts of up to 40 mph, destroyed three homes and was 20 percent surrounded.
The blaze was threatening as many as 2,000 homes.
Between 4,000 to 6,000 residents were ordered to evacuate, said Robin Prince, public information officer for the San Bernardino National Forest.
"The winds are quite a problem," Prince said.
New evacuation orders were in effect for all of Wrightwood.
Evacuations were also in place for Applewhite Campground, Applewhite Picnic Area, Happy Jack area of Lytle Creek and areas east of Lytle Creek Road up to and including Mountain Lakes RV Park in Lytle Creek, as well as Swarthout Canyon, Lone Pine Canyon, and areas along Highway 138 between I-15 and Hess Road.
Roads have been closed at Lytle Creek north of Sierra Avenue, Lone Pine Canyon Road at State Route 138 and State Route 138 from the I-15 to State Route 2.
Firefighters were making a stand in the mountain resort community of Wrightwood, which contains a mix of full-time residences and vacation homes, spreading fire retardant gel to structures to protect them from advancing flames.
One firefighter suffered a heat-related injury on Saturday.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County, freeing up state resources to battle the fire.
Erratic winds and low visibility temporarily grounded air support, but helicopters and air tankers took to the skies by Sunday morning aided by about 1,000 firefighters on the ground.
The blaze broke out Saturday near Lytle Creek, a small community surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest. Fueled by thick timber and brush, the fire pushed over hills and canyons by winds.
Evacuation centers had been opened for people, large animals, such as horses, and smaller animals, such as dogs and cats.
People were being housed at Eisenhower High School in nearby Rialto as well as the San Bernardino County fairgrounds in Victorville, where horses, large and small animals were also being accepted. Smaller animals were being taken to the Devore Animal Shelter. The Glen Helen Regional Park rodeo ground, which was previously taking in large animals, was full.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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