California Governor Gavin Newson has declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County as the so-called Line Fire has burned through more than 23,600 acres. Mandatory evacuations have been issued for communities across the county about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. The fire started on Thursday Sept. 5 near the San Bernardino National Forest and stands at 3% contained as of 4:02 p.m. local time on Monday according to CalFire.
There are currently 36,328 structures threatened by fire, but no damage to structures has been reported as of now. Residents in 10 areas have been ordered to evacuate, and six others are under evacuation warnings . Some 1700 fire personnel are working to contain the fire including 15 helicopters and 195 fire engines. There have been no civilian deaths or injuries reported, but three firefighters have suffered minor injuries. The blaze has caused both Redlands Unified and Bear Valley Unified school districts to cancel all classes for Monday.
Orange County is experiencing their own wildfire problem as the so-called Airport Fire broke out Monday afternoon in Trabuco Canyon just east of Irvine and has burned 1,300 acres as of 4 p.m. local time. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for three areas and warnings have been issued for several other nearby communities.