At nearly 7,000 acres and growing, the “Pilot” fire continues to burn through the nearby western San Bernardino Mountains, 4,700 mountain and desert residents have been told to evacuate. Crews had contained 6 percent of the fire by sunset Monday. On Monday, flames spread in all directions, fire officials said. “We have had some eastward growth (toward Lake Arrowhead), but the dominant growth is northward toward Hesperia,” public information officer Eric Sherwin said about 9 p.m. Monday. Upward of 843 federal, state and local firefighters were swarming the fire, and more are on the way. No one has been hurt, and no buildings have burned. Two areas are under mandatory evacuation: The Deer Lodge Park area of Lake Arrowhead, and a section of Hesperia south of Ranchero Road between Santa Fe East and Arrowhead Lake Road. An area of Hesperia from Rock Springs Road south to the Deep Creek Spillway on the Mojave River is under voluntary evacuation. The east-west boundaries are between Kiowa Road and the Mojave River. Rim of the World High School in Twin Peaks has been turned into an evacuation center, in addition to Oak Hills High School just outside Hesperia. Animals—small and large—can be taken to the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds in Victorville. Cat and dog owners need to provide their own crates. All Hesperia and Apple Valley schools are closed today because of air quality, officials said late Monday.
