Lake Fire continues to spread in San Bernardino National Forest
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- A brush fire burning in the San Bernardino National Forest continues to spread Thursday, consuming 30-foot pine trees along mountain slopes.
The wildfire, dubbed the Lake Fire, has burned at least 10,000 acres and was about 5 percent contained.
No communities are threatened, but about 200 people -- many of them teens -- have been evacuated from four camps in the area. A shelter for evacuees has been set up at Citrus Valley High School in Redlands.
The fire erupted Wednesday afternoon and was burning along Jenks Lake Road near Highway 38. Authorities say the fire could burn for several weeks.
Bear Valley Unified School District officials relocated Big Bear High School's graduation ceremony to Big Bear Middle School due to the fire. The U.S. Forest Service has set up their Incident Command Center at the high school.
The ceremony is now set to take place at the middle school located at 41275 Big Bear Boulevard in Big Bear Lake at 4 p.m. Friday. For more information on the change of venue, visit www.bearvalleyusd.org.
Fire crews are battling the wildfire under extremely hot conditions in the Southland, with highs expected in the upper 90s in the Valley and the Inland Empire.
Jenks Road and Highway 38 from Angelus Oaks to Lake Williams are closed. All hiking trails into the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area have been closed due to the proximity of the fire to many hiking trails. The Pacific Crest Trail is closed from Whitewater Preserve to Onyx Summit.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
People in the smoke's path were advised to avoid unnecessary outdoor activities and children or people with respiratory problems or heart disease should stay indoors, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
