Full Notification

San Bernardino National Forest Anticipates Busy Fourth of July Holiday

Fire Related Closures and Restrictions in Place
San Bernardino, Calif., July 2, 2015 – The San Bernardino National Forest is preparing for one of the biggest recreation weekends of the year, as forest visitors come to enjoy camping, hiking, mountain biking, fishing and a variety of other recreational activities on the national forest in celebration of our country’s independence.
“While some portions of the San Bernardino National Forest have been impacted by the on-going Lake Fire near Barton Flats, there are plenty of opportunities throughout the forest, and our visitor center staff can guide you to alternate locations,” said Forest Supervisor Jody Noiron. “I am encouraging our visitors to plan ahead, and be fire-aware during their forest visit. With your help, we can make this a safe and enjoyable holiday”.

Campers impacted by the fire related campground closures may call California Land Management’s Serrano campground office at 909-866-8550 regarding the campground closures.
For information regarding the Lake Fire, and areas temporarily closed, please visit: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/ or call (909) 383-5688.
Visitors need to be aware of current fire restrictions in place on national forest lands within the San Bernardino National Forest:
• No possession or use of fireworks.
• No wood or charcoal fires are permitted.
• An approved spark arrester is required for all off-highway vehicles.
• Smoking is only permitted within enclosed buildings or vehicles.
• Recreational shooting is limited to Public Shooting Ranges operated under special use permit only, except those engaged in legal hunting.
Forest visitors are encouraged to “Know Before You Go” and call ahead to the local Ranger Station to check on location conditions and restrictions at the following offices:
• Big Bear Discovery Center 909-382-2790
• Lytle Creek Ranger Station 909-382-2851
• Idyllwild Ranger Station 909-382-2922
• Millcreek Ranger Station 909-382-2881
• Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitors Center 760-862-9984
About the U.S. Forest Service:
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the U.S. Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live. Learn more at http://www.fs.usda.gov/sbnf.

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Lake Fire Update, July 2, 2015, 8:00 AM
Fire Information: (909) 383-5688, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/.
Date Started: June 17, 2015, 3:52 PM Size: 31,359 acres
Containment: 70 percent Cause: under investigation
Estimated Cost to Date: $35.6 million Injuries: 5
Total Personnel: 1,464 Residences Burned: 1
Committed Resources: 46 crews, 40 engines, 1 dozers, 6 water tenders, 15 helicopters, 1 air attack

Current Fire Situation
Mopping up hotspots in the wilderness remains the
priority for fire-containment. Crews continue to work in
steep wilderness terrain to connect the containment lines.
Additional efforts are focused on areas of the incident to
repair suppression activities. Suppression repair crews
will be progressing along the fireline from Rainbow Lane
to Onyx Peak. Both of these efforts—mop up and
repair—are important to complete prior to downsizing the
operation and transferring management to the local fire
resources.

Once crews have extinguished all hotspots in an area of
the fire, all the hose and equipment used during
suppression efforts must be returned to base camp. The
California Conservation Corp (CCC) crews are instrumental in organizing and shipping the supplies to the
national fire cache for use on future fires. The CCC has eight crews assisting Lake Fire personnel in a variety of
jobs, such as maintaining basecamp facilities, distributing fire supplies and assisting the caterer.

Weather & Fire Behavior

The chance of rain and thunderstorms will begin to diminish as a hotter dryer air mass pushes into the area.
Yesterday 0.1 to 0.2 inch of rain fell on the fire. Relative humidity increased due to the rain, and fire behavior
will continue to be minimal. The overnight infrared mapping flight detected 30 spots of heat, primarily stump
holes, within 300 feet of the southern perimeter in the wilderness. Another flight will happen this morning to
further help crews identify hotspots.

Traffic Safety

Fire crews and helicopters will continue to be visible to the public throughout the holiday weekend. Motorists
may observe movement of firefighting vehicles along State Route 38. Please be alert while traveling on the
highway and yield the right-of-way to emergency personnel and vehicles.

Closures

The public should call California Land Management (909-866-8550) with questions regarding campground.