Fire fighters move to protect Big Bear Lake

Firefighters returned today to battle a massive blaze creeping toward the mountain resort town of Big Bear Lake, California, after resting overnight for the first time in days.

Temperatures dipped to around freezing overnight, and continuing light rain was expected to keep the flames at bay while firefighters bulldozed buffer zones around mountain communities. They hoped to complete the fire breaks before the expected return of hot Santa Ana winds next week.

While the heavy fog has reduced visibility and icy roads have slowed firefighters’ effort, the cooler weather since Thursday has helped them make progress against wildfires that have killed 20 people, destroyed more than 3,300 homes and burned about 750,000 acres (300,000 hectares) across Southern California over the past week.

Some 15,000 people have been evacuated from Big Bear Lake, a resort town north-east of Los Angeles that is the only major community still threatened.

The Old Fire had scorched nearly 95,000 acres (38,000 hectares) and moved to within 6 to 8 miles (10 to 13 kilometres) of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains by Friday night. But its spread had slowed and the fire was 25 per cent contained. It remained west of the small mountain community of Green Valley, about five miles from Big Bear Lake.

Up to 6 inches (15 centimetres) of snow was expected to fall in the mountains by Saturday evening, as unseasonably cold weather moved into the region. Winds gusting to 30 mph (48 kph) were also forecast.

Forecasters said the heat and dry desert winds that whipped the flames into infernos could return early next week.

As low clouds cleared sporadically throughout the day on Friday, helicopters dumped water on the fire front and hand crews battled the blaze in “a very active, aggressive attack on the fire”, said Pat Shreffler, a Kern County firefighter who is in charge of tracking the fire’s movements.

Scattered patrols were to remain in the forest overnight, ready to call in reinforcements in case of a flare-up.

Meanwhile, the 275,000-acre (110,000-hectare) Cedar Fire – the largest individual blaze in California history – was 65 per cent contained after burning for six days in the mountains north-east of San Diego.

A multi-agency fact-finding team has been formed to investigate initial efforts to battle the blaze.

The team was formed following media reports that a San Diego County Sheriff’s helicopter pilot spotted the fire when it was still fairly small on October 25 and called for airtankers. The pilot said state firefighters rejected his request because it came minutes after such flights had been grounded for the night.

The blaze was expected to burn east into sparsely-populated mountain and desert areas. One firefighter was killed on Wednesday as he battled the blaze in a nearby community.

In all, seven fires were still burning across four counties Saturday.