This article brought to you by Lake Gregory Recreation and Goodwin & Sons Market
By Scott Limpus
At 9:41pm on Monday, April 22, 2019, fire crews were dispatched to a possible vegetation fire off State Route 330, just north of Highland Avenue. A large response from San Bernardino County Fire Department (SBCoFD), California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CalFire), United States Forest Service (USFS), and San Manuel Fire Department (SMFD) arrived on-scene to find a ¼ acre fire, with a slow rate of spread, on the east side of the highway, burning in the City Creek drainage just north of Highland Avenue.
Crews quickly attacked the fire from both the up-bound lanes of highway 330, as well as the access road below the 330, on the east side of the highway. Although it was windy at the base of the mountain, light rain fell earlier in the evening and helped contain the fire to a ¼ acre. Hand crews were called in to cut a containment line around the fire, and crews remained on scene for several hours to extinguish hot spots.
Down-bound lanes of of the 330 remained unaffected by the fire and emergency equipment. However, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was requested to assist with traffic control for the up-bound lanes. There was a hard closure for about an hour at Highland Avenue, to provide for firefighter safety. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
