Crews Conduct Controlled Burn To Fight Apple Fire

Gillian Smith
Updated ·4 min read

BANNING, CA – Cherry Valley's Apple Fire had burned 29,267 acres and was 30 percent contained as of Friday, according to officials.

On Friday a large column of smoke was visible on the east side of the Apple Fire on the Morongo Indian Reservation as firefighters conducted a burning operation, which is a controlled way to bring “black line” up to the main fire’s edge.

"This may be putting up a lot of smoke, but there would be a lot more of this fuel had burned right now during the hottest and windiest part of the day," U.S. Forest Service officials said. "We expect there will be smoke impacts in the towns east of the fire."

A smoke advisory will be in effect through Fridayafternoon due to the fire, the South CoastAir Quality Management District announced.

Meteorological conditions may bring smoke and ash into portions of theCoachella Valley, the San Gorgonio Pass, Eastern Riverside County and the eastern San Bernardino Mountain, according to an AQMD statement.

Air quality will be unhealthy for sensitive groups today in the SanBernardino Mountains and wherever smoke from the Apple fire shows up.

The air quality district urged anyone who smells smoke or sees ash to limit exposure by remaining indoors with windows and doors closed or to seek alternate shelter, and avoid vigorous physical activity.

Officials believe the blaze may be fully contained as soon as Aug. 17.

Control of the fire was transferred to the U.S. Forest Service on Wednesday, which has been providing periodic updates on progress.

On Thursday, the Forest Service said there were 41 hand crews, 311 engines, 19 helicopters and 2,591 personnel assigned to the fire.

Shortly before noon, a member of one of the hand crews working to dig containment lines was under a tree when a branch toppled onto his head, according to reports from the scene.

The firefighter was aided by medics at the location but required further attention and was taken to a staging area, where he was reportedly picked up by an ambulance. No other details were immediately available, including his identity or condition.

To date, four homes have been destroyed by the fire, officials said.

Apple Fire Behavior Analyst describes progress of firefighting effort for August 6.Posted by U.S. Forest Service - San Bernardino National Forest on Thursday, August 6, 2020

On Thursday, the U.S. Forest Service said crews will focus on firefighting efforts in the Oak Glen area and in Millard Canyon. In the Oak Glen area, officials said crews are making good progress building a containment line around the perimeter.

In Millard Canyon, officials said fire spotting is a main concern with winds expected to pick up throughout the day Thursday.

On the southern perimeter in the Cherry Valley and Banning Canyon areas, firefighters are mopping up and backhauling equipment and trash from the area, officials said.
A community meeting for Pioneertown is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Post Office. A meeting for the Morongo and Yucca Valley communities is scheduled for Friday evening.

COVID-19 precautions
Due to coronavirus precautions, officials said fire camps are more spread out, masks are now part of standard personal protective equipment and personnel are screened on a regular basis.

"While firefighting is challenging during this COVID-19 outbreak, wildland fire personnel are trained to work quickly to adapt to changing situations," U.S. Forest Officials said in an update posted to Facebook Wednesday evening.

"Adjusting to COVID-19 conditions and taking precautions is part of this kind of work."

Evacuations

All Riverside County evacuation orders have been lifted. An evacuation warning is still in effect for the area east of Potrero Road, north of Morongo Road and west of Whitewater Canyon Road.

For San Bernardino County residents, evacuation warnings have been lifted for all areas east of Oak Glen Road, including Potato Canyon and Pine Bench north of the Riverside/San Bernardino line.

Evacuation warnings remain in effect for Forest Falls, Rimrock, Pioneertown and the community of Morongo Valley.

All road closures in Riverside County have also been lifted. In San Bernardino County, Oak Glen Road at Wildwood Canyon, Oak Glen Road at El Dorado Park and Valley of Falls Drive at Highway 38 are closed.

Donations

Two Apple Fire camps, which are small cities that include sleeping areas, a business area and a large kitchen that provides all assigned personnel three meals per day, have been established. Area residents who wish to make food donations are encouraged to contribute to local food pantries.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on the Banning-Beaumont Patch