Firefighters continued battling the Lake Fire today along the northern boundary of the San Gorgonio Wilderness in steep rocky terrain. It is currently 15,000 acres and is 10 percent contained. About 150 structures are threatened. Fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft are battling the fire from the air with numerous water drops and retardant. Over 1,200 firefighters, including two strike teams from our local fire stations, are battling the blaze. Highway 38 is closed from Angelus Oaks to Lake Williams. Jenks Lake Road is closed. Evacuations include areas east of Angelus Oaks including Barton Flats, Seven Oaks, Rainbow Lane, Heart Bar, and all cabins and campgrounds in the South Fork area. All hiking trails into the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area have been closed due to the proximity of the fire to them. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed from Whitewater Preserve to Onyx Summit. The cause of the fire is still unknown. For more information about the fire, call the US Forest Service at 909-383-5688 or go online at inciweb.nwcg.gov.
The Sheriff’s Department rescued 74-year-old Stanley Reese of Dana Point Thursday morning, Reese was on day 2 of a three-day backpacking trip near the fire. The Sheriff’s Department said Reese activated an emergency GPS notification beacon about 10:30 a.m. Thursday morning to indicate he was in trouble. By the time the Sheriff’s helicopter found Reese and airlifted him to safety, the Lake Fire was about a quarter-mile away.
