News & Columns > News Staff Member > No Containment on Butler 2 Fire

No Containment on Butler 2 Fire

By News Staff Member
Friday, September 14, 2007

This is the report from Friday, September 14. For the latest update, see http://www.rimoftheworld.net/columns/news/significant.

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Snow Valley, CA — A 450-acre forest fire is burning to the north and east of Butler Peak near Hanna Flats. The so-called "Butler 2 Fire" was reported around 1:25 pm Friday afternoon, possibly starting from smoldering vegetation from the Butler Fire from September 1, according to officials. Driven by 20 to 30 MPH winds from the south, the fire quickly spread into the timber. Officials are worried that gusty winds, low humidities, and warm temperatures on Saturday will create explosive growth conditions for the fire.

The fire has been burning in a narrow swath from southwest to northeast, and is expected to continue this direction on Saturday. The western edge of the fire has been showing the most explosive fire behavior, according to officials.

Fire officials and dispatchers were kept very busy Friday night as dozens of reports of additional brush fires poured in. Because of the visibility of the Butler 2 Fire and how deceptively close it appeared, civilians, law enforcement officials, and other agencies often misreported the fire as being closer or somewhere else. Calls came in from as far west as Hesperia and as far East as Onyx Summit. The fire was visible from nearly every mountain community and from Yucaipa, Redlands, Highland, parts of San Bernardino, Hesperia, and Apple Valley.

A large plume of smoke glows from the Butler 2 Fire as seen from Grass Valley Road in Lake Arrowhead with Mary Putnam Henck Middle School illuminated in the foreground. (Photo by Greg Eddinger.)

Shortly after 8 PM Friday, the fire reportedly "slopped over" the fire lines and began burning south toward Highway 18 renewing concerns that the highway will be closed. According to the CHP CAD, at 12:08 AM, Highway 18 was closed to the Big Bear Dam. Motorists traveling to or from the Big Bear area are strongly encouraged to be take Highway 38 to access the resort community. Big Bear Lake and Big Bear City are not currently threatened by this fire, and the fire is burning away from populated areas.

On Friday afternoon, officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Camp Whittle and Hanna Flats Campground. Resources are deployed around the Hanna Flats area to monitor the northeastern side of the fire. At about 4:30 pm, aircraft reported that the head of the fire was less than one-quarter mile wide with a few small spots less than one acre each. Structure protection crews applied fire-retardant gel to the structures in the private Camp Whittle.

Smoke rises from the Butler 2 Fire about 40 minutes after it was first reported, as seen from Grass Valley Road in Lake Arrowhead. (Photo by Greg Eddinger.)

The leading edge of the fire was reported to be about one-quarter mile south of Hanna Flats Campground around 5 pm Friday. It was burning north toward the campground and Camp Whittle, but, reportedly, had slowed its forward progress. The air attack chatter seemed more confident about their progress fighting the fire. However, ground crews and helicopters attacking spots near Hanna Flats remained concerned about holding the fire south of the campgrounds.

Smoke billows north of Big Bear Lake from the Butler 2 Fire to the northwest of Fawnskin, as seen from the south shore of Big Bear Lake. (Photo by JordanL.)

On Friday, firefighters had a difficult time evacuating the Butler Peak Fire Lookout volunteer as the was growing rapidly and fire officials were reporting they were "starting to get some crown fire runs into the timber. It's going to be a major fire onto the forest."

Flames crest a ridge to the north of Highway 18, as seen from near Lakeview Point, around 2 PM on Friday. (Photo by RPS_JPR.)

"There is a good west wind on it, about 5 to 10 miles per hour. It is making a good move to the east," reported a firefighter on scene during the initial size up. Firefighters initially went into a defensive mode while waiting for aircraft.

The fire is burning adjacent to the burn area from a 85-acre fire the erupted on September 1. The "Butler Fire" burned until it was fully contained on September 4. It is not known if the current fire is related to this earlier fire.

Looking at the Butler Fire 2 from Running Springs. (Photo by Kevin Kellems.)