Blue Cut fire burns 18,000 acres in Cajon Pass, more than 80,000 evacuated

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 battling the blaze.

Images from the fire lines showed homes in flames. A house on a rural road off Highwayu2009138 west of Mormon Rocks appeared to have burned to the ground. The McDonald’s restaurant at the 15u2009Freeway and 138 caught fire, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman confirmed.

Fire officials couldn’t yet quantify the damage.

“We have had buildings burn,” said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Chon Bribiescas on Tuesday night. But it was hard to count how many amid conditions that made observers feel they were viewing the world through a soda straw. “I was driving through flames.”

A major flareup ripped along both sides of Highwayu2009138 at Hess Road about 6:15u2009p.m., sending dozens of fire engine crews into full retreat. They didn’t go far, maybe half a mile.

• Photos: Firefighters are attacking the Blue Cut fire in the Cajon Pass

But the incident was emblematic of the fire that was advancing on many fronts, threatening communities as far-flung as Lytleu2009Creek and Summitu2009Valley, some 15u2009miles apart.

Midday Tuesday, six Sanu2009Bernardino County firefighters defending homes and assisting with evacuations in the Swarthoutu2009Canyon area west of Cajonu2009Pass were trapped by the fire, sheltering in a nearby structure. The fire burned an engine.

Two of those firefighters were taken to the hospital, but both were released and returned to the fire line Tuesday afternoon, according to county fire spokeswoman Tracey Martinez.

The Blue Cut fire was startling in its speed, said Char Miller, a professor at Pomona College who researches wildfires.

“It’s bewildering,” Miller said. “The fire is moving very, very quickly, and I think that’s one of the examples of the nature of fire this summer. This is in big measure because we’re in a deep drought. The drought, the weather and the temperature have come together in a way that’s, frankly, pretty scary.”

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• Map: Where the Blue Cut fire in the cajon pass is burning near the 15 freeway

EVACUATIONS, ROAD CLOSURES

The Sanu2009Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department ordered mandatory evacuations in multiple areas, including areas of Wrightwood, Phelan and Baldyu2009Mesa.

The Sanu2009Bernardino City Unified School District also evacuated students from Kimbarku2009Elementary to Chavezu2009Middle School, and Snowlineu2009Unified School District evacuated students from Wrightwood u2009Elementary School.

Road closures included the 15 between the 215 in Devore and Ranchero Road in Hesperia; Highwayu2009138 from the 15 to Highwayu20092; Old Cajonu2009Boulevard north of Devoreu2009Cutoff; and Lytleu2009Creek at Glenu2009Helen. Other areas faced heavy congestion.

The Redu2009Cross set up evacuation centers at the Jessie Turner Community Center, 15556u2009Summit Ave., in Fontana, and at Sultanau2009High School, 17311u2009Sultana St., in Hesperia.

About 30u2009people evacuated to the Jessie Turner Community Center, including Doris Jimenez, 71.

“I was right in the middle of it,” said Jimenez, who lives on Clubu2009View Drive in the Lytle Creek area. “This morning I opened up my drapes, and it was pure black. I’m very worried. I have no insurance.”

The Devoreu2009Animal Shelter is accepting large and small animals from evacuated areas, according to the Sheriff’s Department. The shelter is at 19777u2009Shelter Way, San Bernardino. Large animals may also be taken to the Sanu2009Bernardino County Fairgrounds at 14800u20097th Ave. in Victorville.

BNSF Railway Co. has shut down train operations through the Cajon Pass in both directions, said spokeswoman Lena Kent.

“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.

FIRE PART OF ‘A NEW NORMAL’

The Blueu2009Cut fire was reported just after 10:30u2009a.m. near Kenwoodu2009Avenue in the Cajonu2009Pass, according to the U.S. Forestu2009Service. The cause is not known.

Weather conditions in the area were ideal for fire: temperatures close to 100, humidity at 5u2009percent or less for most of the afternoon and wind gusts up to 20u2009mph.

Within eight hours, the Blueu2009Cut fire had grown larger than the nearby Pilotu2009fire, which started Aug.u20097 and topped 8,000u2009acres five days later. Firefighters began the “mop-up stage” on that fire Sunday and it was declared fully contained Tuesday morning.

This is part of a trend of longer and worse fire seasons, said Miller, the Pomona College professor.

“The pattern suggests we’re in what people are calling a new normal,” Miller said by phone. “This is not simply tied to drought. It’s partly because of climate change. As the season gets longer, that’s again linked to climate change. And that’s having a more dramatic effect because more people live in these areas than was true 20u2009years ago.”

Smoke led to unhealthy air quality in areas near Devore, the central and west San Bernardino Mountains and parts of the central Sanu2009Bernardino Valley, according to the Southu2009Coast Airu2009Quality Managementu2009District.

People in areas affected by the smoke should avoid outdoor activity and run their air conditioners, the district advised.

Staff Writers Beau Yarbrough, Doug Saunders, Rich Brooks, John Blodgett, Neil Nisperos and Ali Tadayon contributed to this report.