California Wildfires

Bridge Fire in Angeles National Forest becomes over 8 times bigger within hours

The size of the fire went from about 4,000 acres to 46,000 within a few hours.

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This story will no longer be updated, for the latest information on the Bridge Fire, click here.

The Bridge Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest near Glendora grew exponentially Tuesday, going from burning 4,000 acres in the early afternoon to 46,000 acres by the evening, officials confirmed.

Officials said firefighters were faced with a tougher battle due to the changing weather conditions.

“There has been substantial wildfire growth throughout the day with movement to the north and the east, with impacts to the communities of Mount Baldy and Wrightwood," said Anthony Marrone, Fire Chief of the County of Los Angeles Fire Department, said during a news conference Tuesday evening.

The Bridge Fire, which was first reported Sunday, was still at 0% containment Tuesday evening as it made its mark on Mt. Baldy and the San Gabriel Reservoir.

Tuesday night, flames were seen ripping through a home near the Mt. Baldy Village.

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As Southern California battled other major fires, including the Airport Fire in Orange County and the Line Fire in San Bernardino County, fire departments were faced with "stressing" resources, prompting LA County officials to asking for support from Northern California and other states, Marrone said.

Additional evacuation orders were issued, officials said, urging those in involuntary evacuation areas to be prepared.

"Fires can absolutely be unpredictable and are based on weather conditions, specifically wind. We highly encourage residents in any fire area to be prepared and gather important items, documents, and medications in case you have to leave your residence for an unspecified amount of time," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said.

As the National Guard manned roadblocks to enforce mandatory evacuation orders, the CHP estimated about 70% of neighbors left as ordered. 

Evacuation orders

  • East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort (café, mobile home park, campground)
  • Adjacent river community per Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
  • Baldy Village Area from the dam to Mt. Baldy Resort
  • Community of Wrightwood

Road closures

  • San Gabriel Canyon and East Fork of the San Gabriel River
  • Highway 39
  • East Fork Road
  • Glendora Ridge Road
  • Glendora Mountain Road
  • Mt. Baldy Road at Shinn Road intersection 
The massive Airport Fire has spread from Orange to Riverside County. Christian Cazares reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.
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