El Dorado Fire

INCIDENT INFORMATION

Start Date: 9/05/2020

Location: Oak Glen/West Yucaipa in

San Bernardino County CA

Size: 7050 acres

Percent containment:  5%

Cause: Human-caused, under investigation

Assigned Resources

Hand Crews: 10

Helicopters: 6

Engines: 60

Fixed Wing: 3

Dozers: 10

Water Tenders: 10

Total Personnel: 527

Current Conditions

The fire is burning up the south side of Yucaipa Ridge above the communities of Oak Glen and the North Bench area of Yucaipa. It has crested Yucaipa Ridge and continues to burn on the north slope towards the communities of Mountain Home Village and Forest Falls. There is one confirmed outbuilding destroyed with damage assessment teams currently working in the area to confirm the extent of the damage, the number of structures involved and their location.

The weather will remain dry and hot throughout the night with an elevated temperature and relative humidity at 20 percent. The winds will remain downslope at 3 to 5 mph with gusts to 10 mph. This will result in continued active fire behavior throughout the night. Life safety is always the priority. Fire crews remain protecting structures in the communities affected as well as using retardant and water drops from aircraft equipped for night operations to continue to build line around the fire.

Residents, please heed evacuation orders, and holiday travelers, please stay out of the fire area. Due to the number of fires across California and the West, firefighting resources are in short supply. All fire agencies involved have increased staffing to support firefighting efforts, however, we all need to assist in keeping the firefighters focused on firefighting and not on managing people.

CIIMT 11, a Type 2 Incident Management Team, is managing the El Dorado Fire for the San Bernardino National Forest in unified command with the City of Yucaipa, San Bernardino County Fire, Cal Fire BDU, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol.

CLOSURES AND EVACUATIONS (Holiday travelers, please note!)

ROAD CLOSURES

• Highway 38: Northbound Highway 38 is closed at Bryant Ave. and southbound Highway 38 is closed at the town of Angelus Oaks. 
• Oak Glen Road:  Closed at Pine Bench Rd on the east and Cherry Croft/Jefferson on the west.

EVACUATIONS

• Evacuation Order: Oak Glen (partial, see road closures), Mountain Home Village, Forest Falls and North Bench Yucaipa (north of Carter St. to Highway 38 and both sides of Bryant St., east & west).

SAN BERNARDINO NATIONAL FOREST RECREATION CLOSURES

• San Gorgonio Wilderness: The entire wilderness area is closed, in addition to all inbound trails and associated parking lots, roads and trailheads.
• Other Trails: Big Falls, Oak Glen Divide, Wilson Creek and Santa Ana River Trail between the southern Forest boundary and Middle Control Road.
• Picnic Areas: Falls and Thurman Flats
• Camping: Thomas Hunting Grounds Yellow Post Sites
• Roads: Thomas Hunting Grounds Road (1N12), Morton Springs Road (1S13) and Warm Springs Road (1S12)

Note: All visitors should be prepared for the possibility of future closures at a moment’s notice.