A fast-moving fire on the north side of the San Bernardino Mountains on Sunday burned 1,500 acres in eight hours and forced evacuations near Silverwood Lake. The 4,500-acre Pilot Fire is burning timber and brush east of the lake in the San Bernardino National Forest, filling the air with thick, heavy smoke that was visible from Barstow and from southwest Riverside County, and on Doppler radar. A smoke advisory has been issued for the Mojave Desert area. Crews had no containment as darkness fell, but it is 5 percent contained as of 9 a.m. Monday. Yucca Valley Station 41 and Morongo Valley Fire Department each sent a brush engine, fire captain, engineer, and firefighter Sunday to help fight the fire, and are among 400 firefighters, 36 engines, five dozers, and eight helicopters battling the blaze. The fire broke out about 12:10 p.m. at the Miller Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle area off Highway 138, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The cause is unknown. Within hours, mandatory evacuation orders were issued, including the Summit Valley area east of Cedar Springs Dam. The American Red Cross has an evacuation center at Oak Hills High School. Those with large animals were told to take them to the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds in Victorville. Highway 173 is closed between SR-138 and Arrowhead Lake Road. Interstate 15 was not threatened. Sheriff’s deputies investigated reports in the afternoon that someone was shooting at air tankers dropping retardant on the fire and said it was unfounded.
