Pilot fire fight could be hampered by weather, containment stalls at 6 percent

The flames chewing at vegetation in the San Bernardino Mountains have grown to cover 6,963 acres as of Tuesday morning, and firefighters say they still have the blaze about 6 percent contained.

Nobody has been injured, and no structures have been lost in the Pilot fire, said San Bernardino County Fire Battalion Chief Marc Peebles.

The number of firefighters at the blaze has also grown from 843 Monday night to 934, Peebles said.

• Photos: Fight against Pilot fire continues on Day 2 as acreage grows

• Photos: 400 firefighters battle Pilot fire on Day 1 in San Bernardino Mountains

As of Tuesday morning, about 5,300 people were told to evacuate, he said.

Both Hesperia and Apple Valley school districts have called off classes for Tuesday because of the fire.

Deer Lodge Park was under mandatory evacuation Tuesday morning. Peebles said that area had not burned since 2006 during the Piacles fire.

“The area where the fire started — that doesn’t have a strong burn history,” he said.

That part of the mountains hasn’t been aflame in anywhere from 50 to 75 years, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman John Miller.

That means the thick buildup of drought-dried vegetation in that area will burn hotter and spread flames faster.

Tuesday’s weather forecast for the area could be problematic. Temperatures are expected to reach as high as 90 southeast of Hesperia, the National Weather Service reports. The high temperatures will be accompanied by low humidity levels and wind gusts potentially reaching 30 mph.