Press Releases

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/14/22):

Unified Command is reporting the Radford Fire is 87% contained with 1,079 acres. No structures were lost, and the fire area is only on the San Bernardino National Forest. Fire management will transition from California Interagency Incident Management Team 11 to a local Type 3 team this evening at 7PM to finish the work. A Burned Area Emergency Response team will begin work on Saturday, September 17th, and will also address forest land burned in the Fairview Fire in Riverside County.

Full suppression efforts will continue to be focused on the remaining open line on the west side of the Radford Fire. Heat remains underground and firefighters will continue looking for deep ground fuels holding heat to prevent the fire’s spread; however, no significant spread is expected. Firefighters continue to work in the inaccessible area on the western perimeter. Helicopters will be utilized to further mitigate the fire’s spread.

Crews will implement suppression repair where needed and will continue to backhaul all trash, excess equipment, and remove hose where it is no longer needed.

For further details, please visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8390/

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/13/22 @ 8:19 am):

U.S. Forest Service has upgraded containment on the Radford Fire to 79%, with acreage holding at 1,079. For full update and most current information please visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8390

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/12 @ 12:00 pm): Per the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, as of 12:00 pm on 9/12/22, all evacuation warnings in place for the Radford Fire have been lifted. Please use caution in the area and be mindful of emergency personnel and equipment still working. Many forestry locations remain closed and non-resident traffic is discouraged in the burn areas.

RADFORD FIRE RECAP FROM FIRE CHIEF JEFF WILLIS, BIG BEAR FIRE DEPARTMENT (9/11/22 @ 1:30 pm):

 

On behalf of Big Bear Fire Department, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude not only to the assisting agencies involved under unified command, but to the residents and business owners of the Big Bear community. The outpouring of public support during this incident is a powerful testament to the strength of our community to persevere through difficult and uncertain times to better days ahead.

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/11 @ 8:05 am): Per the U.S. Forest Service, minimal fire activity is expected today, and has been limited to smoldering and creeping due to the cooler temperatures and continued light to moderate rainfall. Although weather conditions continue to mitigate threats from the fire. Risk for driving, falling trees, rocks and debris flow are still of concern. Containment remains at 65% with acreage reduced to 1,079. Updates are available at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8390/ and will continue to be posted here as they become available.

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/10/22 @ 6:54 pm): According to the U.S. Forest Service, containment on the Radford Fire has been increased to 65%. Acreage remains at 1,088. 

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/10/22 @ 8:38 am): The U.S. Forest Service is reporting that yesterday, the Radford Fire behavior was moderate with low intensity ground fire. Rain showers aided firefighting efforts to increase containment lines and in mopping up the area. Air resources have reached their target of placing Phos-Chek around the entire fire perimeter. Phos-Chek is a biodegradable chemical used to slow down the forward movement of wildfire.

Today, strong east/southeast winds are expected to impact the fire area increasing the potential for fire spread to the west and northwest. Resources will continue to go direct on the fire with the objective to keep the fire north of State Route 38 to prevent the fire from entering the San Gorgonio Wilderness. Firefighters will be supported by aircraft due to the potential for strong winds this afternoon.

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/9/22 @ 8:30 am): U.S. Forest Service has increased containment on the Radford Fire to 59%. Acreage remains at 1,088.

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/9/22 @ 7:14 am): U.S. Forest Service is reporting that the Radford Fire remains at 1,088 acres with 40% containment. As of yesterday, all evacuation orders that were previously in place have been downgraded to EVACUATION WARNINGS. Areas under evacuation warnings are: 

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/8/22 @ 8:12 pm): U.S. Forest Service is reporting the Radford Fire at 1,088 acres with 40% containment. More details on this evening’s update can be found at https://Inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8390/. Additional updates will be provided as they become available.

UPDATE: Per the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, as of 1:00 pm (9/8/22), all evacuation orders put in place for the #RadfordFire have been downgraded to EVACUATION WARNINGS. Areas under EVACUATION WARNING are:

• Glass Rd to South Fork River Rd

• Beverly Lane south to 2N10 and 2N08 west to Castlerock

• Summit Blvd east to Club View and Evergreen Dr south

• Club View east to Angels Camp Rd and Vine Ave south to Lassen Dr

• Summit Blvd east to McAllister Rd, east of Hwy 18, and Fox Farm Rd south to Evergreen Rd

These areas are open to RESIDENTS ONLY. Please use caution when returning to your homes and be mindful of emergency personnel and equipment still working in the area.

Please join us for a Unified Command Radford Fire Community Meeting tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. You can attend in person at Big Bear Lake City Hall/Performing Arts Center located at 39707 Big Bear Boulevard in Big Bear Lake or join us on Facebook Live at www.facebook.com/BigBearFire.

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/7/22 @ 8:50 pm): U.S. Forest Service reports the Radford Fire at 1100 acres with 2% containment. Slightly cooler temperatures throughout the day and mildly higher humidities aided firefighting efforts today.

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE FROM FIRE CHIEF JEFF WILLIS, BIG BEAR FIRE DEPARTMENT (9/7/22 @ 5:02 p.m.):

As fire incidents begin, all focus and energy are directed toward the firefight. During this initial phase, the public may feel that accurate communication from official agencies is slow. The initial attack of the Radford Fire has taken place from the time the incident was discovered on September 5, continuing through the last 48 hours, with all available resources being devoted.

As of 7:00 a.m. this morning, California Interagency Incident Management Team 11 has assumed command of the Radford Fire. Big Bear Fire Department is part of this unified command structure. From yesterday to today, workforces have tripled in number with apparatus and personnel. Today’s focus on the Radford Fire has been continued containment to the ridge near Forest Service Road 2N10. The fire line briefly crossed the ridge overnight, creating some spot fires that were captured quickly with additional help received today through the mutual aid system. Aviation crews contributed greatly to the attack on the fire line to the work that was being done on the ground.

Fire activity continues to progress at a moderate rate, slightly to the West. Critical ridge tops running North and South have been selected where dozer lines are being created. Hotshot hand crews are on scene working between the dozer lines. Personnel have been attacking the fire from the bottom of the mountain to the top, and will continue tomorrow from top to bottom for full coverage.

Base camp for Incident Command is currently in the process of moving from Yucaipa to Snow Summit in Big Bear Lake. As this incident progresses, procedures will become more efficient with additional resources, public messaging, and community meetings. Community members can expect to see suppression activity, supplemental resources, and public information ramp up until we are at full operating tempo.

At this time, there have been no reported injuries or structure loss due to the Radford Fire. Updated information will continue to be posted as it becomes available.

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/7/22 @ 8:21 am):

The U.S. Forest Service is reporting the current acreage on the Radford Fire to be at 990 acres with 2% containment. Attached is the most current Operations map.

For additional details on the Radford Fire, please visit https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8390/. Updated information will be posted as it becomes available.

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/6/22 @ 7:39 P.M.):

The U.S. Forest Service is reporting the total acreage of the Radford Fire to be 917 acres, and there is 2% containment at this time.

San Bernardino County Animal Care is offering assistance to evacuate animals from mandatory evacuation areas. Their phone line is open 24 hours a day. Please call (800) 472-5609 if you are in a mandatory evacuation zone and need assistance with evacuating your animals.

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE FROM FIRE CHIEF JEFF WILLIS, BIG BEAR FIRE DEPARTMENT (9/6/22 @ 7:30 p.m.):

On the east side, the Radford fire is currently at the intersection of Forest Service Roads 2N10 and 2N06. Fuel reduction creating fuel breaks performed over the past decade or so has resulted in the fire behaving as anticipated along dirt road perimeters in this area. At this time, the spread is contained to fuels on the ground. The focus of the work currently being performed is to attempt to hold the fire at the network of Forest Service Roads.

Cooling air during the evening hours will cause smoke to settle in over the Big Bear Valley, and the smell of smoke may be strong. Firefighting efforts remain active and aggressive with initial forces in place. Additional apparatus and personnel have been arriving throughout the day and more are currently enroute. Additional information will be posted as it becomes available.

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/6/22 @ 6:13 pm):

Evacuation Chart as of 2022.09.06_1813   Orange areas are suggested, and Red are Mandatory evacuation zones.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has issued a new evacuation order for Summit Blvd. East to Clubview and Evergreen Drive South. Evacuation orders previously established remain in place. For an interactive map of areas under current evacuation orders, please visit Evacuations Areas in San Bernardino County Public Viewer (arcgis.com).

RADFORD FIRE UPDATE (9/6/22 @ 2:25 pm):

As of 2:25 p.m. today, the U.S. Forest Service is reporting the current acreage for the Radford Fire at 646 acres.

An evacuation center for people affected by the Radford Fire has been opened at Big Bear High School located at at 351 Maple Lane, Big Bear City.

The Radford Fire is located in terrain that is difficult to access with plenty of forest fuel to burn. Fire Crews have worked through the night with some progress being made. Additional fire personnel and apparatus have been arriving through the night with more on order and enroute. Although the fire is located in close proximity to our Big Bear community, the threat to Big Bear at this time considered low.  

While this is currently the case, please take this opportunity to think through your family’s personal evacuation plan. Please be mindful that situations change, and sometimes very quickly. Be prepared to respond appropriately should the need arise.

To review a personal wildfire action plan and checklist, Download the Ready-Set-Go Brochure

For information and a guideline on defensible space, visit https://bigbearfire.org/services/defensible-space/defensible-space-guidelines

Updated information will be posted as it becomes available.