The Bridge Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest near Glendora grew exponentially Tuesday, going from burning 4,000 acres in the early afternoon to 34,000 acres by the evening, officials confirmed.
Officials said firefighters were faced with challenging conditions due to the weather.
The Bridge Fire, which was first reported Sunday, was still at 0% containment Tuesday evening as it made its mark on Mt. Baldy and the San Gabriel Reservoir.
“There has been substantial wildfire growth throughout the day with movement to the north and the east, with impacts to the communities of Mount Baldy and Wrightwood,” said Anthony Marrone, Fire Chief of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department, said during a news conference Tuesday evening.
As Southern California battled other major fires, including the Airport Fire in Orange County and the Line Fire in San Bernardino County, fire departments were faced with “stressing” resources, prompting LA County officials to asking for support from Northern California and other states, Marrone said.
Additional evacuation orders were issued, officials said, urging those in involuntary evacuation areas to be prepared.
“Fires can absolutely be unpredictable and are based on weather conditions, specifically wind. We highly encourage residents in any fire area to be prepared and gather important items, documents, and medications in case you have to leave your residence for an unspecified amount of time,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.
As the National Guard manned roadblocks to enforce mandatory evacuation orders, the CHP estimated about 70% of neighbors left as ordered.
Evacuation orders
- East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort (café, mobile home park, campground)
- Adjacent river community per Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
- Baldy Village Area from the dam to Mt. Baldy Resort
- Community of Wrightwood
#BridgeFire Evacuation Order🚨‼️
Effective immediately, an evacuation order is now in effect for the following area:The community of Pinion Hills from Wrightwood north to Highway 18 and Beekley Road west to Los Angeles County is now under an evac ORDER.
Make sure to gather… pic.twitter.com/XsHq6C877H
— San Bernardino County Sheriff (@sbcountysheriff) September 11, 2024
Road closures
- San Gabriel Canyon and East Fork of the San Gabriel River
- Highway 39
- East Fork Road
- Glendora Ridge Road
- Glendora Mountain Road
- Mt. Baldy Road at Shinn Road intersection
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Source: NBC Los Angeles