Some Evacuations Lifted, But Lake Fire Not Over Yet
Some progress is being made on the Lake Fire after yesterday's milder weather. A mandatory evacuation remains in place for Burns Canyon, but all other evacuations have been lifted. State Highway 38 has been re-opened this morning though the corridor remains closed to all recreational use.
Current size of the fire is estimated at 30,526 acres, with containment now at 40 percent. The estimated cost of fighting the fire is nearing $22 million, with nearly 2,100 personnel dedicated to the effort at this time.
According to the official update issued this morning, firefighting crews worked overnight productively. Crews on the northeast portion of the fire, from the Rainbow area to Onyx Peak, installed approximately 3,000 feet of hose and cached supplies for use by crews today as they construct direct lines near the fire's perimeter. Retardant drops by aircraft held the fire overnight on the southwest perimeter in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, according to the report.
Today's weather will be playing a role in the efforts to fight the fire. Warmer and drier conditions are expected, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms this afternoon. Significant growth or activity of the fire is not expected today, though the fire remains active on the east side as unburned fuel between the Lake Fire and the Sawtooth Fire of 2006 is consumed.
Plans for the uncontained northeast and eastern boundaries of the fire are to have crews build direct and indirect lines where safe to do so. Approximately 120 firefighters have been working and camping in the wilderness but will be flown out this evening due to an increased likelihood of thunderstorms. When the threat of thunderstorms decreases, crews are scheduled to resume suppression efforts.
Some residents of the Pipes Canyon area are concerned over a reported decision to let the area around the Three Sisters Peaks smolder instead of putting it out completely at this time. Concerns are based in the well-grounded memories of the fire that began the enormous Sawtooth Fire having been declared as fully contained, left to smolder, only to have high winds whip the fire into an enormous devastating out of control wildfire the next morning.
It appears the Pioneertown Mountains Preserve, which was struck hard by fire in 2006, has mostly been spared by the Lake Fire. Meanwhile, a number of local innkeepers have opened their facilities to evacuees from the Lake Fire, including French journalist Benoit Clair's Calmada Boutique Hotel in Pipes Canyon (run by Benoit's delightful designer wife, Chris Beaugrand), and artist Diane Best's Rattler Ranch Cabins (while Diane is still waiting to hear the fate of her property in still evacuated Burns Canyon).