Residents begin to return home as Blue Cut fire continues to burn
To be sure, smoke was still billowing Thursday above the Blue Cut fire. But mostly gone is the explosive growth: towering flames that consumed whole trees, threatened entire neighborhoods and tried to jump highways.
"A total 180 (degree turn) in conditions today," agreed Capt.
Evacuation orders were lifted Thursday afternoon for residents of south
--Live Updates: Latest on the Blue Cut fire from our reporters and photographers in the field
Barring a blow-up in the afternoon -- when extremely high temperatures, low humidity and gusty winds can turn a docile fire into a raging monster -- Thursday is a day of building fire lines meant to encircle the blaze eventually.
Just when that will happen, fire officials won't predict. The latest estimate remains that containment lines have been built along 4 percent of the fire's perimeter.
Residents began returning Thursday to homes they left as the fast-moving fire approached, not sure what would be there to greet them.
"When we heard the
--Photos: The Blue Cut fire burns for a third day
Construction contractor
"We had some minor damage on the south-side wall after some debris caught fire," Adkins said. "Thankfully it's repairable and not a structural issue."
Not everyone left, despite pleas from authorities.
As evening came Wednesday, their gas-powered pump sucked water from a nearby creek and was "keeping wet" Engine 9 from Heartland Fire Rescue El Cajon whose crew was keeping watch on flames coming down a hill opposite
"We've been told to get out 110 times,"
It helps that he once was a volunteer firefighter in
--Inside the Fire: What made the Blue Cut fire so relentlessly fast
"I'm not just a resident knucklehead staying in the way," he said, wearing a set of yellow turn out gear and helping to keep an eye on Engine 9's pump.
Sheriff's deputies arrested three people Thursday morning on suspicion of trying to steal a flatbed truck from
On Wednesday,
"That's a real tragedy when a suspect takes advantage of people who have been evacuated," McMahon said. "I don't think it gets much lower than that."
The
The Blue Cut fire has left about 967 customers without power as of noon Thursday, according to
Areas with fire-related outages include
--Arrests: 3 taken into custody on suspicion of looting home evacuated during Blue Cut fire
"We're currently staging additional personnel & materials (poles, wires, transformers) in impacted #BlueCutFire areas," the utility company said.
The fire -- which officials most recently said was 31,600 acres -- has also led
Cots, food, showers and restrooms are available in the shelter at
Evacuees who have been sheltering in recreational vehicles may park their RVs at the fairgrounds and receive services while continuing to shelter in their RVs. Utility hookups for RVs will most likely not be available, so RVs must be self-sufficient.
An animal shelter and counseling services are available, according to Wert.
The southbound 15 Freeway through the
The southbound lanes were closed Tuesday at
All off-ramps will remain closed, the CHP said in an earlier tweet.
--More Photos: The Blue Cut fire -- Day 2
The northbound lanes of the 15 Freeway were reopened late Wednesday night.
The Blue Cut fire grew slightly overnight to Thursday morning, reaching 31,600 acres with 4 percent containment as firefighters battled it for the third day. That's only slightly larger than the night before, with the same percent of its perimeter contained.
"This is still a raging wildfire," said
More resources -- equipment, firefighters and fire managers -- were on the job Thursday with more on the way, Martinez said. More than 1,500 people are involved in fighting the fire, and the cause has not been established.
The fire has destroyed about a dozen homes since Tuesday, though no official numbers have been provided.
"It was nerve-racking not knowing," said
--Fire Map: Where the Blue Cut fire is burning
Wednesday afternoon, someone managed to snap a picture of their home and texted it to the nervous couple.
"We've been blessed," Gress said Thursday as she sat at the
Young Kim lost a few outbuildings on his property south of
Kim's roommate,
"The firefighters were amazing," said Webb. "What they did and what they've been doing to save the homes have been great."
Stranded motorists trying to get to the High Desert and beyond were able to get back on the road. However, highways 138 and 2 remain closed.
The fire did not damage the 15 Freeway itself, but it did damage guardrails that need to be repaired, said
--Community:
Winds were expected to push flames up through the
Flames could also spread to the west, north of
Crews will be spraying fire-resistant gel on homes that are potentially in danger, just as they did in 2015 during the Lake fire in the Big Bear area. Then the practice was credited with saving 15 to 20 buildings.
Also Thursday, teams are assessing damage to property. That information will help
The teams also will note which properties had defensible spaces around them that would limit the likelihood that homes would burn. Martinez said even if some homes burned despite clearing brush and flammable property, "Defensible space has been proven to save lives and save property."
On Wednesday, crews were able to prevent flames from jumping some fire breaks dug by bulldozers.
"They definitely saved the communities of
--Railways: Half of
As firefighting efforts continued into Thursday, the mountain communities of
Firefighters were able to protect those mountain communities as well as the
Many seasoned firefighters had never seen a fire behave like the Blue Cut fire,
"Some of you have been doing this 30 years," she said.
The fire was first spotted on the west side of the 15 Freeway near
--More Photos: The Blue Cut fire -- Day 1
Several veteran fire officials commented on the rapid pace of the fire, which may have been aided by a combination of dry brush and erratic winds.
Cal Fire Capt.
BNSF said in a statement Thursday that while two of its main lines between
Shipments moving through that corridor could be delayed 36 to 48 hours, the statement said.
Staff writers
More coverage:
--More Photos: The Blue Cut fire -- Day 1
--Late Wednesday: Blue Cut Fire in
--Risky: Fire evacuation orders 'not a joke,' authorities say, but some stay anyway
--Freeways:
--Schools: What schools are closed on Friday because of the Blue Cut fire in the
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(c)2016 the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, Calif.)
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