Windy conditions, low humidity and dry brush accelerated the El Dorado Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains Wednesday night. KVCR’s Megan Jamerson reports as of Thursday morning the blaze had burned 12,610 acres and is 23 percent contained.
San Bernardino County Fire officials say four homes have been lost but hundreds more were saved Wednesday evening by firefighting crews. More than 21,000 people have been evacuated so far.
On Wednesday, the fire advanced on the mountain communities of Forest Falls and Mountain Home Village. It then jumped Highway 38 to the north activating new evacuation orders all along the highway up to Onyx Summit.
Along the southern edge, the fire has been less active and holding well. Thursday afternoon, the Yucaipa Police Department announced the lifting of evacuation warnings and orders in Western Yucaipa and Cherry Valley. Some neighborhoods in those areas have been evacuated for five days.
Cal Fire San Bernardino spokesperson Cathey Mattingly:
“As the fire continues to burn actively in the Highway 38 corridor, we do know that we have residents in other areas that are waiting to return home. And we want to encourage them that as that time’s coming there is some reference information out there where they can review that and know what to expect when that time comes to return home.”
She says they can visit readyforwildfire.organd click on the post-wildfire tab for a returning home checklist and other information.
The county has an interactinve map where residents can check the status of evactuation orders and warnings for their home address here. San Bernardino County Fire will continue to update it's Inciweb, Twitter and Facebook pages with the latest information.