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The California Report

Fires Explode In Size, Threaten More Communities Across Southern California

Keith Mizuguchi
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bridge fire
GLENDORA, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 10: Large flames rapidly consume vegetation during a run up a ridge as the Bridge fire explodes in size from 2,995 acres to 46,727 acres in single day, racing up the San Gabriel Mountains toward the ski resort community of Wrightwood, on September 10 2024 near Glendora, California. The fire is incinerating the Sheep Mountain Wilderness and is also threatening Baldy Village, in the Mount Baldy area, to the east. Heatwave conditions have been fueling extreme fire behavior at multiple large wildfires in Southern California.  (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, September 11, 2024…

  • The Bridge Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest outside of L.A. has exploded in size growing to more than 47,000 acres with no containment. Evacuation orders are in place for small mountain communities and flames have consumed homes in Wrightwood and swept through the Mountain High Ski resort.
  • The Airport Fire continues to burn across dry chaparral covered hills in Orange County. The wind-driven blaze had charred more than 22,000 acres, and jumped into Riverside County on Tuesday.
  • The Line Fire has burned more than 34,000 acres in and around the San Bernardino National Forest. Smoke from the blaze– and others around the state— is making air quality unhealthy for more than 10 million people in Southern California, especially in inland areas. Some people are getting creative to protect themselves. 
  • California’s unhoused population has grown by 8% to 186,000 people. That’s according to a new analysis of state homelessness data from our California Newsroom partner, CalMatters.
  • With the presidential race entering its final weeks, a new survey finds that economic issues are top of mind for California’s 9 million Latino voters.

Bridge Fire Explodes In Size, Impacts Mountain Communities 

The Bridge Fire, which ignited on Sunday afternoon in the Angeles National Forest, exploded in size Tuesday from about 3,000 acres to more than 47,000 acres by Wednesday morning. The fire is burning through chaparral desiccated by months of extreme heat.

Those dry conditions, paired with a red flag warning, are expected to continue through Wednesday afternoon.

Evacuations, initially ordered for Camp Williams Resort and River Community, have now expanded to include Wrightwood, as the fire has been charging up steep inclines to the east. Scenes from the mountain town showed authorities working Tuesday to get people out as flames blew through the area.

Airport Fire Grows To 22,000 Acres 

The Airport Fire continues to burn across dry chaparral covered hills in Orange County. The wind-driven blaze had charred more than 22,000 acres, and jumped into Riverside County on Tuesday.

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Orange County supervisors declared a local state of emergency to deal with the fire, which quickly grew to more than 22,000 acres by Wednesday morning. The board’s declaration opens up the possibility of both state and federal help.

“The scale of this fire and its impact on our region call for a unified and immediate response,” said Chair Don Wagner at Tuesday’s board meeting. Like other fires in the region, it has sent massive plumes of smoke into the air, visible for many miles.

Locals Get Creative To Keep Smoke Out Of Homes

A 34-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of  arson in connection with the Line Fire that’s burning in San Bernardino County. 

According to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Office, Justin Halstenberg of Norco was taken into custody on Tuesday. 

The Line Fire has burned more than 34,000 acres in and around the San Bernardino National Forest. Smoke from the blaze– and others around the state— is making air quality unhealthy for more than 10 million people in Southern California, especially in inland areas. Some local residents are getting creative to protect themselves from the bad air quality.

California’s Homeless Population Grew Again This Year, Especially In These Counties

New data shows nearly 186,000 people now live on the streets and in homeless shelters in California, proving the crisis continues to grow despite increasing state and local efforts to stem the tide.

That’s according to an exclusive CalMatters analysis of the latest results of the point-in-time count, a federally mandated census that requires counties to tally their unhoused residents over the course of one night or early morning in January.

The count is up slightly from last year’s tally of about 181,000, and up 8% from 2022 (the last year most California counties counted people living in encampments). But there’s some good news: The rate at which the homelessness crisis is growing appears to have slowed. It grew 13% between 2019 and 2022, 13% between 2017 and 2019, and 16% between 2015 and 2017.

Latino Voters In California Weigh In On Key Election Issues 

With the presidential election two months away, a new survey is looking at the issues Latino voters are interested in. 

The survey of more than 900 Latino voters by the Latino Community Foundation found their top concerns are the cost of living, housing affordability, and jobs. And nearly half of the respondents said the state is heading in the wrong direction. 

62% of the surveyed Latinos favor Vice President Kamala Harris, and about three-quarters support keeping abortion access legal.

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