After officials downgraded the evacuation order for a Wrightwood community to a warning, families were able to return to their homes. Christian Cázares reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sep. 17, 2024.
As fire crews worked around the clock to gain control of the Bridge Fire burning the San Gabriel Mountains, at least one evacuation order in the Wrightwood area was scaled back to an evacuation warning Tuesday.
A week after being told to clear out their things and evacuation, some Wrightwood residents began to make their way home Tuesday afternoon.
Someone also left behind a sign of gratitude that read “Thank you for saving us.”
For others like Karen Knight and her boyfriend Ralph Buchholz who haven’t been told to return home, the painful and anxious wait continued Tuesday.
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“It’s been a long journey,” Knight said while going through the valuables she saved when she and her boyfriend were forced to leave their Wrightwood home nine days ago.
“I was filling up the truck and trailer, and I started to cry,” Knight recalled, calling the evacuation the scariest moments in her life.
“This fire was crazy,” Buchloz, Knight’s boyfriend, said. “The sky turned orange, and all the solar panels were popping at 1 p.m.”
As families drove back home to see what’s left of their community, the couple said the biggest blessing is that they survived.
“There are a lot more disadvantaged people than us. We are blessed that we have each other. That's all that matters,” Knight said.
Fire officials said the Bridge Fire, which started in Los Angeles County and spread to San Bernardino County’s mountain communities, destroyed over 65 commercial buildings and homes.
Even after the flames were put out, smoke and hot spots were still visible around the mountain Tuesday, forcing crews to clear trees and debris that could pose a risk.
