Incident Overview
Lightning from thunderstorms on August 25 and 26, sparked several small lightning fires.
All fires (unless listed otherwise) were 1 acre or less in size and may be confined to a single tree or small area of ground fire.
August 25
1. Canyon Fire - Dark Canyon in the San Jacinto Mountains.
2. Joe Fire - north of Holcomb Valley
3. Crystal Fire - north of Holcomb Valley
4. Gobbler Fire - (1 acre) between Lytle Creek and Wrightwood.
5. Telegraph Fire - on Telegraph Peak above Lytle Creek
6. Stetson Fire - above Angeles Oaks, State Highway 38 at FS Road 1N86
7. Wildhorse Fire - west of Onyx Peak.
8. Round Meadow - south of Jenks Lake in the San Gorgonio Wilderness.
9. Arrastre Fire - off forest road 2N02 east of Big Bear.
10. Boundary Fire - Boundry Ridge area north of Lytle Creek.
August 26
11. Blue Sky Fire - off State Highway 38 near Onyx Summit.
12. Heartbreak #1 Fire - east of State Highway 38, north of Onyx Summit.
13. Heartbreak #2 Fire - east of State Highway 38, north of Onyx Summit.
14. Bluff Mesa Fire - Bluff Mesa area southwest of the Big Bear valley.
15. Rose Fire - east of State Highway 18 in the Rose mine area.
16. Sugarloaf Fire - south of Big Bear valley on 2N10.
17. Cougar Fire - north of State Highway 38 above the Big Bear Discover Center.
18. Pine Fire - east of Pine Mountain at the 8000 foot level, San Gabriel Mtn.
August 27
19. Jenks Fire - south of State Highway 38 inside the Jenks Lake Road loop.
20. Crews Fire - west of Big Bear near Butler Peak.
August 28
21. 93 Fire - south side of Sugarloaf Mountain.
22. Hatchery Fire - northeast of Sugarloaf Mountain.
23. Creek Fire - west end of Holcomb Valley.
August 31
24. Marion Fire - near Marion Mtn on the San Jacinto Ranger District
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We conduct aerial reconnaissance flights over the forest for the next several days after storms are reported to locate additional lightning related fires.
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LightningLightning is defined as: a visible discharge of electrical energy in the atmosphere in the vicinity of thunderstorms, volcanic eruptions or wildfire convection columns. Lightning results from separation of electrical charges due to turbulence inside a convective cloud.
Lightning strikes are typically categorized by their polarity (either positive or negative) and their direction of travel: cloud to cloud, cloud to ground or cloud to air. Negative lightning strikes are the most frequently observed as cloud to ground (CG) flashes beneath active thunderstorm cloud bases in the vicinity of rainshowers. Negative strikes are less frequent but tend to be more powerful and appear to be capable of traveling scores of miles (or sometimes more) from the parent cloud and away from the rainfall.
Lightning poses several threats. Electrocution from the strong electrical current in and near a direct lightning strike is capable of killing humans and animals. Strong currents are also possible in soil, bodies of water, and other conductors in the vicinity of a lightning strike. Lightning is capable of igniting fire and the blast effect from strikes has been known to explosively shatter the bark of trees. Humans incapacitated by a lightning strike do not carry a residual charge and can be safely moved.
The exact locations of thunderstorms are difficult to forecast accurately more than a few hours in advance. The approach of a thunderstorm is commonly heralded by darkening clouds and flashes of lightning accompanied by booms of thunder growing louder and closer. Sometimes lightning is visible without the sound of thunder and at other times thunder is audible without flashes of lightning. Both need to be taken seriously and cover sought before the arrival of a storm.
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San Bernardino National Forest "Proudly Serving America Since 1905"
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
|---|---|
| Cause | Lightning |
| Date of Origin | Wednesday August 25th, 2010 approx. 12:00 AM |
Outlook
| Remarks | Thunderstorms across the San Bernardino National Forest have sparked several small fires. |
|---|
