Evacuations ordered as Bridge Fire in Angeles National Forest burns out of control
ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. (KABC) -- The Bridge Fire in the Angeles National Forest continued to spread quickly Monday, charring nearly 3,000 acres since it erupted Sunday.
The wildfire was reported around 2:40 p.m. Sunday in the area near East Fork Road in San Gabriel Canyon. An evacuation order was issued for the East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort, which includes a cafe, mobile home park and campground.
The evacuations were expanded to part of the Mount Baldy area, defined as all residents north of the San Antonio Dam up to the Mount Baldy Resort. Evacuees are asked to use Mount Baldy Road, and not Glendora Ridge Road, to leave the area.
By Monday evening, the fire was estimated at 2,995 acres with no containment, according to Cal Fire.
Road closures include:
- San Gabriel Canyon and the East Fork of the San Gabriel River remain closed to all forest visitors.
- Highway 39
- East Fork Road
- Glendora Ridge Road
- Glendora Mountain Road
- Mt. Baldy Road at Shinn Road intersection
Some residents returned from work to find they couldn't head back up the mountain and gather their belongings or rescue their pets. One man who lives with his grandparents says he couldn't reach them because he wasn't allowed to go into the evacuation zone.
At the bottom of Mount Baldy Road, dozens of residents tried getting up the hill but were stopped due to the closure. The National Guard arrived to help enforce the closure.
Fire conditions remain dangerous in Southern California amid a heat wave that is setting daily temperature records in many communities. But some monsoonal moisture in the air was also creating clouds and thunderstorms, increasing the possibility of lightning strikes that could spark new blazes.
Air quality in the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire, due to the Bridge Fire and the nearby Line Fire, was labeled as "unhealthy." Residents were urged to stay indoors or wear a mask when outdoors.
The cause is under investigation.
