Firefighters battle 850-acre wildfire near Big Bear
Firefighters were battling a fast-moving wildfire Monday in a section of the dry, grassy San Bernardino Mountains north of Big Bear.
The blaze, dubbed the Holcomb fire, began about 3 p.m. near Holcomb Valley Road and North Shore Drive, the Big Bear Fire Department said.
By 6 p.m., the fire had spread to 850 acres, the U.S. Forest Service said. Firefighters have no containment on the blaze.
The flames generated large plumes of smoke that were visible across the region. The smoke and wind prompted the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a smoke advisory, warning of unhealthy air in the Eastern San Bernardino Mountains.
The wildfire was not posing a threat to homes, but the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said the Tanglewood Campground, the Doble Trail campground, the Baldwin Lake area and a nearby waste dump were closed as a precaution.
Some roads in the area were also closed, including Highway 18 between Baldwin Lake Road to Mitsubishi Plant Road and Van Dusen Canyon Road.
Firefighters were contending with a heat spell as well as wind gusts of up to 23 mph.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Twitter: @MattHjourno
UPDATES:
8:50 p.m.: This article was updated with information on a smoke advisory and road closures in the area.
6:10 p.m.: This article was updated with the fire’s increase from 200 to 850 acres.
This article was originally published at 5:55 p.m.
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