CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS : Inciweb: Butler 2 Wildland Fire - 14,039 acres

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Inciweb: Butler 2 Wildland Fire - 14,039 acres - 53%

Butler 2 Wildland Fire

INCIDENT UPDATED

Smoke Plume
Credit: DANIEL ELLIOTT

Summary

The Butler 2 Fire was reported at 1:21 pm on Friday northwest of Big Bear Lake. The fire is currently 14,039 acres and 53% contained. Highway 18 is closed from Running Springs east to Big Bear Dam. Drivers may not access Big Bear from Hwy 18 or from Hwy 330 in San Bernardino, but Hwy 18 is open from Apple Valley (the high desert). Drivers may also access Big Bear via Hwy 38 from I-10 in Redlands.

Manadatory Evacuations for Fawnskin-- Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for the Fawnskin area from the Big Bear Dam to The Discovery Center north of Hwy 38. The evacuation center has been moved to Pine Summit Christian Camp at 700 Wren Drive in Big Bear Lake.

Voluntary Evacuations are in effect for the Green Valley Lake area-- The mandatory evacuation order for the entire community from Hwy 18 as well as campgrounds from Green Valley Lake RD has been downgraded to a voluntary evacuation status. Campgrounds include--Greeen Valley, Crab Flats, Tent Peg, and Fisherman's.

Evacuation centers closed: Jerry Lewis Community Center and Victor Valley College. Evacuation center at Big Bear High School has been moved to Pine Summit Christian Camp.

Voluntary Evacuations remain in effect for Lucerne Valley from Crystal Creek Road on the east to High Rd on the west and North to the Pitzer Buttes area.

Voluntary Evacuations remain in effect for the communities of Running Springs and Arrowbear.

Basic Information

Incident Type	Wildland Fire
Cause	Under Investigation
Date of Origin	09/14/2007 at 1321 hrs.
Location	NW of Big Bear Lake
Incident Commander	Opliger/corley/mcclellan

Current Situation

Total Personnel	2,505
Size	14,039 acres
Percent Contained	53%
Fuels Involved	Grass, Brush, and Timber.
Fire Behavior	Moderate rate of spread, single tree/small group torching and short range spotting.
Significant Events	Highway 18 remains closed between Running Springs and Big Bear Lake Dam. Line on the NW flank completed.

Outlook

Planned Actions	Continue line construction on the west and south flanks, improve and hold existing line. Provide structure protection in Fawnskin, Lucerne Valley, Green Valley and along Highway 18.
Projected Movement	Northeast
Growth Potential	Extreme
Terrain Difficulty	High.
Remarks	Highway closures--Hwy 18 is closed from Running Springs to Big Bear Dam. Drivers may not access Big Bear from Hwy 18 or from Hwy 330 in San Bernardino, but Hwy 18 is open from Apple Valley (the high desert). Drivers may also access Big Bear via Hwy 38 from I-10 in Redlands. Areas Closed--Camp Whittle Boy Scout Camp, Big Pine Flat, Ironwood, Hanna Flat, Yellow Post campsites in the area, and Butler Peak Lookout. Forest Road Closures--2N13, both ends of 3N14, 4N16, 3N16 at Crab Flats, Grays Peak Trailhead. Resources on Scene--68 hand crews, 250 engines, 17 helicopters, 12 fixed wing aircraft,12 dozers, and 33 watertenders. Mandatory Community Evacuations remain in effect for the Fawnskin area from the Big Bear Dam to The Discovery Center north of Hwy 38. The evacuatiion center has been moved to Pine Summit Christian Camp at 700 Wren Drive in Big Bear Lake. The mandatory evacuation order has been changed to voluntary for the Green Valley Lake area. Voluntary Evacuations remain in effect for Lucerne Valley from Crystal Creek West to High Road and North to the Pitzer Buttes area and the communities of Running Springs and Arrowbear. Evacuation Centers at Victor Valley Community College and the Jerry Lewis Community Center in Highland are closed.

Weather

Current Wind Conditions	2 gusts 12 mph NE
Current Temperature	70 degrees
Current Humidity	16 %

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