From
KBHR 93.3
PUBLIC MEETING (Installment 3, 7:45pm)
The Big Bear Lake Convention Center was packed for about an hour tonight, as close to 1,000 residents turned out to hear a briefing from the Unified Fire Incident Command.
George Corley, Division Chief with San Bernardino County Fire reported on their activities at Onyx Peak, where there are 40 structures. They've been reducing hazardous fuels around propane tanks and houses and dousing them with fire retardant gel.
One of the first things brought up was the fact that there is a “very good possibility” that the two fire complexes, Sawtooth and Millard, will merge at Mission Springs. If that happens, though, they say it won't mean disaster for Big Bear, because it will mean that the general movement is toward the northeast.
Currently, the point where fire is closest to us is about 2 ½ miles east of Onyx Summit, and 6-7 miles from Lake Williams down pipes canyon. The goal is to hold it at the bottom of that canyon.
Randy Clauson of the U.S. Forest Service reported on the dozer activity behind Erwin Lake and Lake Williams. They're creating a last-stand back line, in case the fire does worse than expected. They do have back lines further down the mountain and do not expect the fires to reach the line behind these communities. Officials are acting prudently though, and planning as if the threat is much closer. Clauson pointed out that the most visible smoke is from Millard, and it makes it appear a lot closer than it actually is. All roads are open into Big Bear and tourism is not being discouraged.
Walt Chacon, the Deputy Incident Commander for the CDF says that now that the northeastern portion of Sawtooth is calming down – evacuations were lifted at noon in many of those areas – they can focus the fight on the fire's western and southern fronts.
This is the #1 incident in California, and as such, it has priority. State resources have been coming and Chacon says they're very well stocked. He says they have adequate resources and will not be requesting the assistance from any military aircraft. Also, the National weather Service is doing spot weather forecasts for incident command.
Lee Watkins reiterated what KBHR reported throughout the day: that residents in Erwin Lake and Lake William were contacted door by door and told to begin thinking about getting their valuables together. Officers conducted informational visits to those communities to prepare them for the possibility of evacuation, which has not been established, even on a voluntary basis. As Watkins put it, we're preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. If the fire does advance more than expected, it would likely only affect the east valley, and evacuations would be in phases. The trigger points established at certain topographical features allow 5-6 hours for any evacuations which would begin a Rainbow Lane, then move to Lake William and finally to Erwin Lake. Again, not even voluntary evacuations have been called for at this time. The Sheriff's Dept. has requested a 12-hour lead time for any evacuation in the worst –case scenario.
Resources include local fire agencies, County fire, the Forest Service, Cleveland National Forest, Big Bear Hot Shots and rio Bravo Hot shots.
Glad I'm out of it!
