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The fire buing in the Cherry Valley area was slightly bigger and further contained Wednesday moing, but firefighters remain conceed that winds and dry fuel could cause the blaze to explode. • PHOTOS: The Bogart fire bus brush in Cherry Valley “With any hot spots, that wind change is always a conce,” said Cal Fire Capt. Liz Brown adding that 20-mph wind gusts are expected throughout the day. Most of the vegetation buing is a combination of chaparral and short grasses, and it’s those tinder-dry grasses that are worrisome for fire officials. The Bogart fire, named for the park it started in, covered 1,250 acres and was about 20 percent contained by sunrise, officials said. Evacuations southeas...

A tank exploded Friday at the Tesoro refinery in Wilmington, spewing hazardous sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide vapors into the community and causing massive gridlock along nearby roads. Refinery officials said the lid of the tank was somehow breached at about 1 p.m., causing a chemical explosion that set the tank’s insulation on fire, said county fire and Tesoro officials. The refinery along South Alameda Street, which borders densely populated neighborhoods in Carson and Long Beach, alerted the community to “shelter in place” while an investigation took place. A fire in the sulphur tank was quickly extinguished. “There is a visible steam plume over the unit, which responders are workin...

Long Beach police are investigating after a parked car in a West Long Beach neighborhood was struck by gunfire early Friday moing. Police said officers were sent to the 2200 block of Santa Fe Avenue after a shooting was reported at about 3:50 a.m. When they arrived, the officers discovered nobody was injured and only the car was hit, Long Beach police spokesman Sgt. Brad Johnson said. The shooter fled on foot and has not been arrested, police said. Investigators don’t know at this point if the shooting was gang related, Johnson said. Advertisement Let's block ads! بخوانید...

SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS >> The Blue Cut fire continued to bu Sunday moing and fire officials say they’ve made progress on the blaze’s containment. The fire didn’t grow beyond 37,020 acres oveight and was 83 percent contained by 7 a.m. according a news release from the U.S. Forest Service. As of Sunday moing, officials with U.S. Forest Service say the fire has destroyed a total of 105 homes and 213 outbuildings. • Photos: Firefighters gain upper hand on Blue Cut fire moving into day 6 The only other community still under mandatory evacuation is Lytle Creek, according to the news release. The San Beardino County Sheriff’s Department said in a tweet that Lytle Creek residents would be al...

Three additional arrests were made this week in the evacuation areas of the Blue Cut fire, according to the San Beardino County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies arrested three people Thursday on suspicion of trying to steal a flatbed truck from an area evacuated. • Day 5 Coverage: Oveight progress on Blue Cut fire stops growth, increases containment Saturday moing, authorities aounced there had been other arrests. With nearly 35,000 homes evacuated due to the fire, 70 deputies, two per unit, have been assigned to patrol the areas, according to a news release Saturday moing. “Our focus is the safety of our citizens and protection of their property. We will fully investigate, pursue and arrest ...

PHELAN >> For years, residents of Phelan, Wrightwood and the West Cajon Valley area have made the Mountain Top Cafe a gathering place. “Sometimes a bunch of us retired law enforcement guys get together here some moings and just talk,” said John Gress of West Cajon Valley. “We’ve been coming here for 30 years,” his wife, Mary Gress, chimed in. On Tuesday, the popular eating spot became a hub for residents, firefighters and other emergency persoel escaping the devastating Blue Cut fire. • More coverage: Blue Cut fire bus into 3rd day, 15 Freeway reopens as some evacuations lifted The Mountain Top Cafe sits on the southe coer of highways 138 and 2, making it an ideal place for people to ...

The Blue Cut fire continued to menace communities north of the Cajon Pass on Thursday, but the lifting of some mandatory evacuation orders and the reopening of the 15 Freeway signaled progress against a fast-moving wildfire that shocked even seasoned firefighters with its behavior and ferocity. The fire has consumed almost 36,000 acres in the San Beardino Mountains as of Thursday evening, but containment rose to 22 percent, up from 4 percent that moing. U.S. Forest Service spokesman Bob Poole credited the success to finally having enough resources to keep up. • Live Updates: Latest on the Blue Cut fire from our reporters and photographers in the field “Now that we have the resources, we are...

Mandatory evacuation orders for an area of south Hesperia and Oak Hills will be lifted at 1 p.m., the Sheriff’s Department said at 12:45 p.m. Thursday. The area extends east of the 15 Freeway to Santa Fe and Summit Valley Road and south of Ranchero Road to Highway 138. The Blue Cut fire has left about 967 customers without power as of noon Thursday, according to Southe Califoia Edison. • LIVE UPDATES: Latest on the Blue Cut fire from our reporters and photographers in the field Areas with fire-related outages include Hesperia, Oak Hills, Pinon Hills, Phelan, Rancho Cucamonga and Victorville, SCE said on Twitter. “We’re currently staging additional persoel & materials (poles, wires, tran...

Firefighters battling the fast-growing fire in the Cajon Pass faced a powder keg created by mountainous terrain, excessive dry vegetation and extreme weather conditions, experts said Wednesday. In just over a day, the Blue Cut fire charred dozens of buildings, mostly single-story family houses, and forced the evacuation of 82,000 residents from 34,500 homes. From the time the fire was reported at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday until 10 that night, the wildfire had grown to 18,000 acres. That day, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, in part citing the blaze’s rapid expansion. By 7 p.m. Wednesday, the fire had consumed 25,626 acres, with 4 percent containment, said a representative for the Sa...

PHELAN >> Dozens of exotic animals weathered Tuesday night’s rampaging Blue Cut fire at a family-run High Desert sanctuary. Joel and Chemaine Almquist, owners of the Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary, spent part of Tuesday afteoon putting birds and other smaller animals in crates to get them out of the smoke. But moving the dozens of animals, including more than two dozen big cats, wasn’t necessary. • Photos: The Blue Cut fire bus 30,000 acres and is still out of control “The firemen did an excellent job of detouring the fire around us,” Chemaine Almquist said Wednesday. “All of the animals are safe, all the humans safe.” Forever Wild will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, at le...

The 15 Freeway, the main artery in and out of the High Desert, remains closed Wednesday moing as firefighters battled the out-of-control Blue Cut fire in the Cajon Pass oveight. The massive wind-driven wildfire devoured 30,000u2009acres and multiple homes and buildings by Wednesday moing, forcing more than 80,000 people to evacuate their homes. No portion of the perimeter has containment lines. “Dozens” of buildings were destroyed, according to San Beardino County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig. • Photos: The Blue Cut fire bus 30,000 acres and is still out of control A day after playing defense because of the erratic and unpredictable path of the flames, crews on the Blue Cut fire are in more of a...

The 15 Freeway, the main artery in and out of the High Desert, remains closed Wednesday moing as firefighters battled the out-of-control Blue Cut fire in the Cajon Pass oveight. The massive wind-driven wildfire devoured 30,000u2009acres and multiple homes and buildings by Wednesday moing, forcing more than 80,000 people to evacuate their homes. No portion of the perimeter has containment lines. • Photos: The Blue Cut fire bus 30,000 acres and is still out of control The mandatory evacuation area includes Phelan/Piñon Hills south of Phelan Road from Sheep Creek Road to Green Road, including the Desert Front Road area, the San Beardino Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday moing. • Live updates...

CAJON PASS >> A massive wind-driven wildfire devoured 18,000u2009acres and multiple buildings with “bewildering” speed Tuesday, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate and defying firefighters’ efforts to stop its spread. Sheriff’s officials estimated they evacuated 34,500 homes, which equates to about 82,600u2009residents, according to the U.S. Forestu2009Service, as the Blueu2009Cut fire raced north. • Live updates: Follow live updates from the Blue Cut fire By evening, nine hours after the fire started, no portion of its perimeter had containment lines to keep the flames from spreading. Gov.u2009Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, and 700u2009firefighting persoel were...

CAJON PASS >> A massive wind-driven wildfire devoured 15,000 acres and multiple buildings with “bewildering” speed Tuesday, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate and defying firefighters’ efforts to stop the spread. Sheriff’s officials estimate they evacuated 34,500 homes – which equates to about 82,600 residents, according to the U.S. Forest Service – as the Blue Cut fire raced north. By evening, nine hours after the fire started, no portion of its perimeter had containment lines to keep the flames from spreading. Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency, and 700 firefighting persoel were battling the fire. • LIVE UPDATES: Follow live updates from the Blue Cut fire Im...

CAJON PASS >> More than 500 firefighters are battling a 5,500-acre brush fire Tuesday that has forced evacuations in the Cajon Pass area. • LIVE UPDATES: Follow live updates from the Blue Cut fire There is an imminent threat to structures and to rail traffic in the Cajon Pass, and two firefighters received minor injuries, according to the U.S. Forest Service. “We have some structures destroyed,” U.S. Forest Service spokesman Bob Poole said Tuesday afteoon of the fast-changing developments. “I don’t have a number. I don’t know where.” • PHOTOS: Firefighters are attacking the Blue Cut fire in the Cajon Pass Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for all of the Cajon Valley west of the ...

SAN BERNARDINO >> BNSF Railway Co. shut down train operations through the Cajon Pass in both directions Tuesday as a result of the Blue Cut fire, said spokeswoman Lena Kent. More than 500 firefighters are battling a 5,500-acre brush fire that has forced evacuations in the Cajon Pass area. “We do have a train that is close to the fire that is in the process of safely being moved away from the area,” she said. The Associated Press reported that a freight train was stopped by the fire and its crew had to flee. The Blue Cut fire was reported just after 10:30 a.m near Kenwood Avenue in the Cajon Pass, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Winds are blowing to the north, pushing smoke into ...

A nonprofit known for training people to give great speeches has clammed up about efforts to move its worldwide headquarters out of Southe Califoia. The silence from Toastmasters Inteational executives no doubt stems from an opposition campaign launched by a proud Torrance member who decries the group’s lack of transparency. With 179 employees and 345,000 members in 15,900 clubs in 142 countries, Toastmasters will hold a vote this week at its Inteational Convention in Washington, D.C., on a proposal to move to Denver from Rancho Santa Margarita, where the organization’s home base has been since 1990. A two-thirds vote is required for approval. The Toastmasters board recommended in 2015 on i...

LOWER LAKE, Calif. — A wind-whipped wildfire roared through a Northe Califoia town threatened by a devastating blaze a year ago, wiping out more than 100 homes and businesses and forcing thousands of people to flee, authorities said Monday. The fire seemed calm Sunday before gusts kicked up the flames that tore through neighborhoods in Lower Lake, a rural town about 90 miles north of San Francisco, officials said. No one was injured, but it reached Main Street and bued the post office, a winery, an antiques store, a historic firehouse and the Habitat for Humanity office. “This fire roared through the city like a wave of water — it was a wave of fire that came through here,” said Lt. Doug Pi...

The SuperScoopers have landed! Just in time for sizzling temperatures this weekend, the county officially unveiled a huge part of its aerial firefighting fleet Friday. •RELATED STORY: SuperScoopers arrive 3 weeks early to help combat LA County brush fires Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich and Fire Chief Daryl L. Osby showcased the recent arrival of two Canadian SuperScoopers and an Erickson Air-Crane. •RELATED STORY: Massive Sand fire nearly contained after more than a week The water bombers landed at Van Nuys Airport Aug. 6 after their flight from their home base in Quebec, Canada. They are usually leased during the fall for work on L.A. County’s fires, but this year they ha...

Robyn Gogue will take her twin 5-year-old daughters to their first day of kindergarten next week in Menifee. Her husband, Roy, a Calu2009Fire firefighter, isn’t able to attend the milestone moment. “I know he’s upset that he will miss another first in their lives,” Robyn Gogue said. Corona firefighter John Deyoe was looking forward to a dier date with his daughters and girlfriend, whom he hadn’t seen in 10u2009days, but he had to cancel because of a last-minute work assignment. “My heart dropped to my feet. It was like somebody punched me in the stomach,” Deyoe said. Such is the life of Southe Califoia firefighter families at the height of the wildfire season, where one spouse — in most cas...