Fires force evacuations in San Bernardino mountain towns

An out-of-control wildfire in San Bernardino County forced mandatory evacuations Saturday in the mountain communities of Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake, as well as other areas.

Five hundred firefighters used handheld hoses, hoses and fixed-wing aircraft to battle the line blaze, which started Thursday night and exploded overnight as temperatures soared to 110 degrees.

The fire doubled in size early Saturday, from 3,800 acres in the town of Highland to 7,122 acres by evening, as it spread northeast toward Running Springs and Arrowbear Lake, with the fire 0% contained. Steep terrain and lack of access impacted crews’ ability to access some areas of the fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement.

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles said the weather conditions were worsening the Line Fire and turning it into a “dangerous situation.” Outflow winds from pyrocumulonimbus clouds — thunderstorms that form over sources of intense heat, such as wildfires — were pushing the flames, the weather service said in a post on the social media platform X.

“The situation is out of control,” said David Cruz, a spokesman for the San Bernardino National Forest.

Running Springs, a community of about 4,600, is a major gateway to the popular tourist destinations of Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear. About 735 people live in Arrowbear Lake. On Saturday, residents blocked exit routes as they scrambled to comply with mandatory evacuation orders issued by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Footage from a live video feed posted to social media showed a long line of cars slowing down on a single mountain lane.

“There’s a giant traffic jam,” Cruz said.

Other areas subject to evacuation orders, issued when conditions are immediately dangerous and life-threatening, include:

• The area from Calle Del Rio to Highway 38, including Greenspot Road North
• All undeveloped land east of Highway 330 to Summertrail Place and north of Highland Avenue
• Areas of Running Springs east of Highway 330 and south of Highway 18
• The area east of Orchard Road to Cloverhill Drive, from Highland Avenue north to the foothills