SAN BERNARDINO, California: Southern California residents received evacuation orders and warnings this week near a wildfire, which has been chiefly contained after the blaze flared up over the weekend.
Following a surge in the Line Fire on September 29, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department told Seven Oaks residents to leave the small mountain community.
Angelus Oaks residents were also asked to evacuate, while those living in the Boulder Bay area along Big Bear Lake were told to be ready to move out.
The San Bernardino National Forest said on September 29, the Line Fire had spread over 62.6 square miles and was 83 percent contained, with 1,176 personnel assigned to fight the blaze. The blaze threatened more than 65,000 homes.
A California man, Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, of Norco, pleaded not guilty on September 17 to starting the Line Fire on September 5. According to court records, he was charged with 11 arson-related crimes.
Temperatures are expected to rise this week across California. Dry, hot winds in the northern part of the state prompted Pacific Gas & Electric to preemptively cut power to about 1,200 customers in Butte and Shasta counties. The utility routinely cuts electricity service in areas where weather conditions increase the risk of fires.
