Fire Information Line:

619-818-7916

Release Date:

9/7/2020

Media Line:

619-818-7916

Incident Name:

Valley Fire

Type of Incident:

Wildland

Communities:

Incident Location:

Cleveland NF

Incident Report Date:

09/6/2020

Fire Cause:

Under investigation

Incident Report Time:

14:16

Acres:

10,258

% Contained:

1%

Structures Damaged:

0

 Habitable Structures Destroyed:

11

Injuries/ Illnesses:

2

Outbuildings Destroyed:

25

Resources Assigned

Engines:

 56

Helicopters:

 14

Bulldozers:

 6

Water Tenders:

 7

Air Tankers:

8

Overhead Personnel:

 71

Crews:

 5                  

  Total Personnel:

 374

Current Situation

The Valley Fire remained active in the night with uphill runs and wind driven runs.  Firefighters held the spread to 408 acres, bringing the total acres to 10,258.  Crews are continuing to do point protection and perimeter control.  Firefighters will be building line.  The military has been activated, adding an additional 6 helicopters to the fire suppression efforts.

The forecasted cooler and lighter winds today should provide a slight reduction of fire spread.  However, there are a lot of dead fuels that will continue to be receptive to fire spread. Santa Ana wind is expected to develop Tuesday and continue through Wednesday with gusts over 40 mph Tuesday night and Wednesday. Fire growth is in the Lawson Valley and Carveacre areas.

There is an immediate threat to Loveland Reservoir and the surrounding water shed.

An Evacuation Order is in place for Barrett Lake Dam.  Evacuation Warnings have been issued for: Lake Marina, Dulzura, Dog Patch, Potrero, Campo, Honey Springs, Barrett Junction, Deerhorn Valley, Corte Madera, Pine Valley, the area from Lyons/Japatul Road to Hwy 8.

Please call the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for evacuation information at (858) 565-5200.

Temporary evacuation points have been set up at Steele Canyon High School, 12440 Campo Road, Spring Valley; and Joan MacQueen Middle school, 2001 Tavern Road, Alpine for evacuees.

Fire Information Line:

916-694-8162

Release Date:

9/6/2020

Media Line:

916-694-8162

Incident Name:

Valley Fire

Type of Incident:

Wildland

Communities:

Incident Location:

Cleveland NF

Incident Report Date:

09/6/2020

Fire Cause:

Under investigation

Incident Report Time:

14:16

Acres:

9,850

% Contained:

1%

Structures Damaged:

0

 Habitable Structures Destroyed:

11

Injuries/ Illnesses:

2

Outbuildings Destroyed:

25

Resources Assigned

Engines:

 56

Helicopters:

Bulldozers:

 6

Water Tenders:

 7

Air Tankers:

Overhead Personnel:

 71

Crews:

 5                  

  Total Personnel:

 374

Current Situation

Firefighters continued to battle active fire behavior today driven by the record-breaking heat wave and critically dry fuel bed. Fire activity included running, flanking, and moderate spotting, erratic fire behavior caused significant fire growth.

Due to lack of night-time fuel moisture recovery, the fire is expected to remain active overnight. Fire is currently in the area of Lawson Valley and Carveacre, and continues to threaten the Sunrise Powerlink and Loveland Reservoir.  Loveland Reservoir provides drinking water to 191,000 residents.

An Evacuation Order is in place for Barrett Lake Dam.  Evacuation Warnings have been issued for: Lake Marina, Dulzura, Dog Patch, Potrero, Campo, Honey Springs, Barrett Junction, Dearhorn Valley, Corte Madera, Pine Valley, the area from Lyons/Japatul Road to Hwy 8.

Please call the San Diego Sheriff’s Department for evacuation information at (858) 565-3490.

Temporary evacuation points have been set up at Steele Canyon High School, 12440 Campo Road, Spring Valley; and Joan MacQueen Middle school, 2001 Tavern Road, Alpine for evacuees.

Cooperators

San Diego Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Office of Emergency Services, California Office of Emergency Services, California Highway Patrol, US Fish and Wildli

CURRENT CONDITIONS: 

A local Red Flag warning has been declared until 7 p.m. today. A red flag warning is a forecast warning issued by the National Weather Service to inform area firefighting and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for wildland fire combustion, and rapid spread. 

Interior burning on the El Dorado Fire will continue for several days, perhaps even weeks as the fire continues to burn in the steep rocky and inaccessible portions of the San Gorgonio Wilderness.  Highway 38 remains closed to through traffic, and forest roads and hiking trails within the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area remain closed.   Please check https://roads.dot.ca.gov/ for updated highway conditions, and the San Bernardino National Forest website for forest roads and trails information. 

The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region announced that current closure orders and fire prohibitions in California have been extended. This decision will be evaluated daily, taking fire and weather conditions into account. The closure order prevents any entry onto Forest Service Lands except in limited situations.  This order does not prevent use of state highways to access mountain communities.  The fire prohibition includes building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, or stove. https://www.fs.usda.gov/R5 

Residents and visitors in the fire area should be aware that recently burned areas are at a greater risk of mudflows and flash floods. Fires eliminate vegetation that hold soil and rocks in place and charred ground may be unable to absorb water. Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Teams and CAL FIRE Watershed Emergency Response Team (WERT) efforts are focused on the protection of human life, safety, and property. Rapid burn assessments identify areas that have increased potential for floods and mudflow, enabling county, state, and federal emergency managers to better plan their responses to future rain events. For more information, please visit the El Dorado Post-Fire BAER InciWeb page.     

Residents in the mountain and foothill areas should stay informed of weather forecasts.  Register your cell phones with the Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS) / Swift 911 and have an emergency plan.  Visit www.sbcounty.gov for more emergency preparedness information.   

The El Dorado Fire began on September 5th in El Dorado Park near Yucaipa, CA. Temperatures recorded the day the fire started were 15 to 20 degrees above normal, and in many cases broke new record high temperatures.  Over a 23-day period, the fire burned 22,680 acres in the Oak Glen / Yucaipa Ridge area and within the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area of the San Bernardino National Forest.   The fire forced the evacuations of Oak Glen, north Yucaipa, Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls, and Angelus Oaks communities.   The fire required 60 miles of fireline and ranged from a minimum elevation of 3030’ to a maximum of 10,640’. There were 4 residences damaged, 5 residences destroyed along with 15 other structures destroyed. 

The incident command post was established at Yucaipa Regional Park, Yucaipa, CA, and two comples incident management teams rotated through the incident, California Interagency Management Team 11, Incident Commander Chris Fogle and California Interagency Management Team 13 lead by Incident Commander Mike Wakoski.   

At the peak, there were 1,351 personnel assigned to the fire, including 17 hand crews, 177 engines, 20 water tenders, 17 dozers, and 10 helicopters.  Numerous Fixed Wing Tankers, including the DC-10 assisted with aerial fire-retardant drops.   Three Canadian Fire Bosses, a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) Water Scooper were also used for the first time in Southern California and were based out of Big Bear Airport & Lake. 

This fire resulted in one firefighter fatality, Charlie Morton, a 14-year veteran firefighter with the San Bernardino National Forest, as well as thirteen injuries. The memorial service for fallen USDA Forest Service firefighter Charles Edward Morton was held on Friday, September 25, 2020, at 11 a.m. in San Bernardino, CA. 

Nearly 3,000 phone calls were placed by affected residents to the San Bernardino National Forest’s Fire Information Center, (909-383-5688), and nearly one million pageviews on https://Inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/7148/ Two community meeting were held in Forest Falls and in Angelus Oak as the respective communities were repopulated. Two additional Facebook Live events were held to answer questions regarding the fire. 

Mike Wakoski, Incident Commander of California Incident Management Team 13 on behalf of the entire team would like to sincerely thank the city of Yucaipa and surrounding mountain communities of Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls, Angelus Oaks, Barton Flats and Big Bear for their patience, understanding, and hospitality as California Incident Management Teams 11 and 13 managed the El Dorado fire.  

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CURRENT CONDITIONS: 

A local Red Flag warning has been declared for 9:00PM tonight to 5:00PM Monday, a red flag warning is a forecast warning issued by the National Weather Service to inform area firefighting and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for extreme burning conditions, and rapid fire spread. 

Fire activity near containment lines continue to be minimal. Firefighters continue to search for hidden hotspots near containment lines and conduct mop up in the Angelus Oaks, Jenks Lake areas and near the west fork of Barton Creek. Firefighters are building containment lines in the last remaining sections of fire line within the wilderness. Pockets of unburned fuel will likely still cause smoke along Hwy 38. Flames may be visible (especially at night) but, are well within containment lines.  

A large pocket of burning fuel remains in the Monkey Face Creek area near San Bernardino Peak. Residents may see large columns of smoke visible from both Yucaipa and Big Bear Areas. Please know that there is no threat to containment lines as a result of these fuels burning out. This fire activity is likely to last several days. 

There was a community meeting for mountain residents in Angelus Oaks yesterday at San Bernardino County Fire Station 98. The meeting was well attended by the community with over 100 in attendance. Representatives from the incident and public agencies updated community members on the current progress being made on the fire and community impacts.  

WEATHER: The area is under a Red Flag Warning in effect from 9:00PM tonight to through 5:00PM Monday September 28th. East winds and very low humidity are predicted during this period. Temperatures over the fire area will be 80-84 degrees. Winds today will be 5-10 mph with gusts to 20 mph. 

ROAD CLOSURES:  Please note that Highway 38 remains closed from Bryant Street. to Mile Marker 37 (located approx. 3 miles west of Onyx Summit). Residents are allowed access to their communities with proper identification. Residents may gain access to their homes from either Big Bear or Yucaipa on Highway 38. 

EVACUATIONS:  All evacuation orders have been lifted. Previously evacuated communities remain under an evacuation warning. As you return home, please keep in mind that there will be firefighting personnel, heavy equipment and other cooperators working in the area. Please drive with EXTREME caution. Slow down, obey all traffic laws and expect possible traffic delays. 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOREST CLOSURES: The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region announced that current closure orders and fire prohibitions in California have been extended. This decision will be evaluated daily, taking fire and weather conditions into account. The fire prohibition includes building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, or stove.  

 https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sbnf/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD810960 

There will be a community meeting for mountain residents in Angelus Oaks tomorrow Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. located at San Bernardino County Fire Station 98 located at 5766 Frontage Road, Angelus Oaks, CA. Representatives from the incident and public agencies will update community members on the current progress on the fire and recovery efforts.

 CURRENT CONDITIONS:

Overnight, fire activity was minimal on most parts of the fire. Hot rolling material periodically is coming off the of hillsides near the 5000’ level on Highway 38. Firefighters are patrolling the highway for these occurrences. Caltrans is assisting by clearing the highway.

Today, firefighters continue to mop up and search for hidden hotspots around Angelus Oaks, Jenks Lake, and near the west fork of Barton Creek. Firefighters continue to build and re-enforce containment lines in these critical areas. Residents will possibly see, smell smoke and fire glows especially at night. Firefighters are working around the clock in the communities.

Pockets of unburned fuel continue to cause smoke along Hwy 38. Flames may be visible and are well within containment lines.

As a result of additional containment on the El Dorado Fire over the past several days, Incident Commanders lifted evacuation orders at 6:00PM on Thursday, September 24, 2020 for the communities of Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks and Barton Flats. All of these communities will remain under an evacuation warning, open to residents only with proper identification, until further notice.

There will be a community meeting for mountain residents in Angelus Oaks tomorrow Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 2:00PM located at San Bernardino County Fire Station 98 located at 5766 Frontage Road, Angelus Oaks, CA. Representatives from the incident and public agencies will update community members on the current progress on the fire and recovery efforts.

Yesterday, the El Dorado Fire transitioned out of unified command with CALFIRE, San Bernardino County Fire, San Bernardino County Sheriff, California Highway Patrol at 6 p.m.  and is now under the command of California Interagency Incident Management Team 13, Mike Wakoski Incident Commander.

The memorial service for fallen USDA Forest Service firefighter Charles Edward Morton will be held on Friday, September 25, 2020, at 11 a.m. in San Bernardino, Calif. The location will be at The Rock Church at 2345 S. Waterman Ave. Attendance to the service will be limited to invited guests due to space and social distancing guidelines.  The public is encouraged to attend the service virtually, which will be live streamed on the website of The Rock Church, their YouTube channel and the Facebook page for San Bernardino National Forest

WEATHER: Temperatures are predicted to be warm, dry, and breezy later in the afternoon. Temperatures over the fire area will be 76-81 degrees.

ROAD CLOSURES:  Please note that Highway 38 remains closed from Bryant Street. to Mile Marker 37 (located approx. 3 miles west of Onyx Summit). Residents are allowed access to their communities with proper identification. Residents may gain access to their homes from either Big Bear or Yucaipa on Highway 38.

EVACUATIONS:  All evacuation orders have been lifted but, all previously evacuated communities remain under an evacuation warning. As you return home, please keep in mind that there will be firefighting personnel, heavy equipment and other cooperators working in the area. Please drive with EXTREME caution. Slow down, obey all traffic laws and expect possible traffic delays.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOREST CLOSURES: All four Forests in Southern California, the Cleveland, San Bernardino, Angeles, and Los Padres remain closed to all public use due to the extreme fire conditions and critical limitations on firefighting resources. Regional Order No. 20-12 Emergency Forest Closure

RETURNING HOME AFTER A WILDFIRE:  Although wildfire damage can be immeasurable, the danger is not over after the flames are put out. Flash flooding and debris flows, structural damage, road instability, and damaged trees are just some of the dangers that exist after a wildfire. ReadyforWildFire.org

###

No fire activity occurred today in the Oak Glen, Yucaipa or Beaumont portions of the fire and they remain in patrol status.

Today, firefighters continue to mop up around Angelus Oaks, Jenks Lake, and near the west fork of Barton Creek. Firefighters continue to build and re-enforce containment lines in these critical areas.

Pockets of unburned fuel continue to smolder and isolated trees continue to produce smoke in few areas along Hwy 38. In the area of the slide on Hwy 38 unburned fuels in the drainages are burning out and rolling out to the next pocket of unburned fuel. Firefighters are closely monitoring and attacking any fire near containment lines.

As a result of firefighters gaining additional containment on the El Dorado Fire over the past several days, Incident Commanders lifted evacuation orders at 6:00PM on Thursday, September 24, 2020 for the communities of Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks and Barton Flats. All of these communities will remain under an evacuation warning, open to residents only with proper identification, until further notice.

Today the El Dorado Fire transitioned out of unified command with CALFIRE, San Bernardino County Fire, San Bernardino County Sheriff, California Highway Patrol at 6 p.m.  and is now under the command of California Interagency Incident Management Team 13, Mike Wakoski Incident Commander.

The memorial service for fallen USDA Forest Service firefighter Charles Edward Morton will be held on Friday, September 25, 2020, at 11 a.m. in San Bernardino, Calif. The location will be at The Rock Church at 2345 S. Waterman Ave. Attendance to the service will be limited to invited guests due to space and social distancing guidelines.  The public is encouraged to attend the service virtually, which will be live streamed on the website of The Rock Church, their YouTube channel and the Facebook page for San Bernardino National Forest

WEATHER: Temperatures are predicted to be warm, dry, and breezy during the night operations period. High winds aloft continue to influence day time wind patterns.

ROAD CLOSURES:  Please note that Highway 38 remains closed from Bryant Street. to Mile Marker 37 (located approx. 3 miles west of Onyx Summit). Residents are allowed access to their communities with proper identification.

EVACUATIONS:  All evacuation orders have been lifted but, all previously evacuated communities remain under an evacuation warning. As you return home, please keep in mind that there will be firefighting personnel, heavy equipment and other cooperators working in the area. Expect to see and smell smoke along with occasional Please drive with EXTREME caution. Slow down, obey all traffic laws and expect possible traffic delays.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOREST CLOSURES: All four Forests in Southern California, the Cleveland, San Bernardino, Angeles, and Los Padres remain closed to all public use due to the extreme fire conditions and critical limitations on firefighting resources. Regional Order No. 20-12 Emergency Forest Closure

RETURNING HOME AFTER A WILDFIRE:  Although wildfire damage can be immeasurable, the danger is not over after the flames are put out. Flash flooding and debris flows, structural damage, road instability, and damaged trees are just some of the dangers that exist after a wildfire. ReadyforWildFire.org

###

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — The memorial service for fallen USDA Forest Service firefighter Charles Edward Morton will be held on Friday, September 25, 2020, at 11 a.m. in San Bernardino, Calif. The location will be at The Rock Church at 2345 S. Waterman Ave.

The service will include an Honor Cordon outside the church, the Posting of Colors, the Hotshot Prayer, a Bell Ceremony, presentations to the family and Charlie’s “Last Call,” a tradition that honors a firefighter who has fallen in the line of duty with a final radio call, recognizing the end of his watch.

Attendance to the service will be limited to invited guests due to space and social distancing guidelines. The public is encouraged to attend the service virtually, which will be live streamed on the website of The Rock Church, their YouTube channel and the Facebook page for San Bernardino National Forest.

Morton, a Big Bear Interagency Hotshot Squad Boss, died while engaged in fire suppression operations on the El Dorado Fire on Thursday, September 17, 2020. He began his career with the Forest Service in 2006.

Cards and condolences may be sent to the Morton family at: P.O. Box 63564, Irvine, CA 92602. For FedEx and/or UPS: 1 League # 63564, Irvine, CA 92602 in care of “Support for Charlie.”

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