Emerald Fire Update August 29th
Incident:
Released: 8/29/2006
SAN BERNARDINO, CALIF. A wildfire on the San Bernardino National Forest, Tuesday afternoon, closed Highway 38 from Bryant Street to Valley of the Falls Drive, and caused mandatory evacuation of the Mountain Home Village and Loch Leven Conference Center. The Highway 38 road closure will remain in effect through Wednesday when it can be assessed in daylight hours for public safety and removal of firefighting equipment. Highway 330 was opened on Tuesday night as an alternate route. Updated road closure information for Highways 38 and 330 can be found at the California Department of Transportation at http://www.dot.ca.gov/. The fire started at approximately 3:02 p.m. on Tuesday, by an unknown cause just south of national forest land in the Mentone area. Called the Emerald Fire, the fire burned northeast onto the national forest toward the Morton Peak area, causing evacuation of the Morton Peak Lookout. The fire burned actively throughout the evening and reached approximately 2000 acres in size. One medical emergency associated with the Emerald Fire occurred Tuesday when a firefighter felt chest pains and was transported to the hospital. One home and two outbuildings are confirmed lost to the fire. At present, 15% containment is reported on the Emerald Fire. The fire is burning easterly, toward last year s Thurman Fire, where there is less fuel to consume. Aircraft will continue operations by 8:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. Active fire is expected during the day, while weather reports show potential for winds in the afternoon. Area residents should remain alert and prepared in the event of sudden changes in local wildfire activity. Residents should listen to local radio and television stations for updates on wildfires and road closure information. Additional information can be found at www.inciweb.org or by calling (909) 383-5688. Further Emerald Fire updates will be issued as conditions change.
