A wildfire that began in the South Texas town of Lytle Creek has burned at least four homes and forced hundreds to evacuate.
FONTANA, Calif. (CBSLA) – A fast-moving wildfire that erupted in the Fontana region on Wednesday afternoon has destroyed at least four houses and caused hundreds of residents to evacuate.
With just one box, Sonia and Jose Ceja fled for their life.
“Are you taking wedding photos? Do you have any baby pictures? “None of that,” a homeowner, Jose Ceja, remarked. “It’s just paperwork like passports and birth certificates,” says the narrator.
As their ideal house went up in flames, Sonia received burns on her arms while attempting to retrieve all of their pets.
25th of August, 2024. (CBSLA)
According to the San Bernardino County Fire Department, the South Fire started as a grass fire between Lytle Creek and Duncan roads at 1:36 p.m.
According to CAL Fire, the fire had burned 680 acres and had no containment as of Thursday morning. Four houses and 14 outbuildings were destroyed in the fire.
Approximately 600 houses were still under danger, and 1,000 people were still under evacuation orders. The wildfire damaged or destroyed at least six houses. High-voltage transmission cables were also threatened by the fire.
Lytle Creek Road, south of the Ranger Station, west of Sierra Avenue, north of the 15 Freeway, and east of Duncan Canyon to the foothills were all ordered to evacuate.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, a shelter-in-place order has been issued for homes north of Lytle Creek Ranger Station on Lytle Creek Road.
25th of August, 2024. (CBSLA)
Homes north of Glen Helen, east of Sierra Avenue, and Lytle Creek Road, west of the 15 Freeway, have been ordered to evacuate.
Some of the neighbors chose to remain. A guy was spotted on his roof with a garden hose, attempting to rescue his house from fast-moving flames.
Laura Mills, a Lytle Creek homeowner, stated, “I came home and grabbed the dogs.” “Hopefully, our home will survive.”
Christina Hernandez, a homeowner, remarked, “It’s definitely a shock.” “We’ll have to wait and see what happens next. “We’re still in the middle of it.”
EVACUATION FROM THE #SouthFire Lytle Creek and any locations north of the Lytle Creek Ranger Station on Lytle Creek Rd. should take shelter.
Lytle Creek Rd. south of the Ranger Station, west of Sierra Ave., north of the 15 Fwy., east of Duncan Canyon to the foothills is under evacuation order.
August 25, 2024 — San Bernardino County Sheriff (@sbcountysheriff)
The fire is close to the 15 Freeway, which was still open on Thursday morning.
With air and ground personnel, around 100 firefighters from SBCFD, Cal Fire, and the US Forest Service battled the wildfire. Cal Fire reports that one fireman was taken to the hospital with a minor injury.
The Jesse Turner Center, located at 15556 Summit Ave. in Fontana, has been designated as an evacuation center. The Devore Animal Shelter in the 19000 block of Shelter Way in San Bernardino has set up an evacuation hub for big animals.
To discover whether victims of the fire were qualified for financial help, CBSLA contacted FEMA and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Both stated federal and state assistance isn’t accessible at the moment since San Bernardino County hasn’t issued a local emergency declaration.
You may contribute to Sonia and Jose Ceja’s GoFundMe page by clicking here.
