by Mick Rhodes | editor@claremont-courier.com

At 7 a.m. Tuesday, California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 assumed command of the Bridge Fire, following a sustained effort by U.S. Forest Service Quick Reaction Force night-flying helicopters, which dropped fire retardant on the blaze for more than five hours overnight.

The fire grew overnight from 2,995 acres to 3,786 acres, but some 300 firefighters held it within its perimeter, with support continuing to arrive. It remains 0% contained.

“Suppression efforts are prioritized on the south side of the fire,” according to the USFS Angeles National Forest website, inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/caanf-bridge-fire. Firefighters held the fire “at Tanbark Flats Road (Forest Road 1N10). This area, along with the east and west flanks, remain the top priority to protect communities, and critical communication and power infrastructure.”

Additionally, USFS’s update said the area was under an “Excessive heat warning until Wednesday afternoon due to hot, dry and unstable conditions with gusty onshore winds. Temperatures as high as 110 degrees in the valleys, lower mountains and deserts expected, along with persistently low humidities. There will be potential for large vertical plume growth and visible smoke columns.”

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department officials ordered the evacuation of all residents north of the San Antonio Dam up to Mt. Baldy Resort at 5:30 p.m. Monday after the fire more than doubled in size in a matter of hours, going from 1,225 acres at 1 p.m. to 2,995 acres by 7:30.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s officials closed Mt. Baldy Road at the Shinn Road intersection overnight as well, adding to previous closures of Highway 39, East Fork Road, Glendora Ridge Road, and Glendora Mountain Road. San Gabriel Canyon and the East Fork of the San Gabriel River also remain closed to the public.

Monday evening’s Mt. Baldy evacuation order followed those implemented Sunday above Azusa in the East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort, including the cafe, mobile home park, and campground, and River Community, which is near the resort.

No loss of life, injuries, or loss of property due to the fire has been reported thus far.

In addition to the 300 firefighters battling the blaze, four USFS helicopters and four fixed wing aircraft are assigned to the fire.

The air quality index was an unhealthy in Claremont was unavailable at 12 p.m. Tuesday, “but there are indications of elevated PM2.5 nearby,” according to airnow.gov. PM2.5 refers to fine inhalable particulate matter with diameters 2.5 micrometers and smaller.

Claremont Unified School District issued an update on air quality and school safety measures Monday evening, which read in part, “Due to the current air quality and smoke, all outdoor activities, including PE and recess, will continue to be held indoors tomorrow [Tuesday]. These adjustments are part of our ongoing efforts to minimize exposure to unhealthy air conditions and keep your children safe at school.”

For the latest updates on the fire, go to inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/caanf-bridge-fire. Additional information, including some dramatic video, is posted on the Angeles National Forest Facebook page at facebook.com/angelesnationalforest.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

The Bridge Fire continued to burn all day Tuesday, drifting east through the Mt. Baldy area. The fire did cause numerous evacuations nearby. Courier photo/Peter Weinberger

The air cleared out the LA Basin as smoke from the Bridge Fire blew east staying north in the mountains on Tuesday. Courier photo/Peter Weinberger