 County Firefighters Continue to Battle El Dorado Fire
San Bernardino County firefighters are continuing to battle the El Dorado Fire, focusing on creating defensible zones between structures and the current fire perimeter, while continuing to extinguish hot spots along the fire’s edges. Strenuous efforts of crews on the ground, dozers and aircraft have enabled them to construct fire lines around the blaze in preparation for the arrival of a Santa Ana wind event expected to begin today and last through Thursday.
Firefighters were able to put a fire line around the Mountain Home Village community to protect homes as the fire moves downslope. A burnout operation was also conducted on the eastern fire perimeter, between Oak Glen Road and the Apple Fire burn scar, in an effort to clear vegetation and prevent the fire from escaping and moving towards homes and other structures.
“Our people are working tirelessly to protect lives and property,” said County Fire Chief Dan Munsey, who noted that the fire has so far not taken any lives or caused serious injury to County residents. “The fire is still raging, and the Santa Ana winds are a major concern, but we have made impressive progress.”
Approximately 650 people are dedicated to this effort, including representatives from the County Sheriff’s Department, the City of Yucaipa, CAL FIRE, the California Highway Patrol and San Bernardino National Forest. In addition, the City of Riverside has contributed five fire engines to the fight.
“The combination of record heat, extremely dry conditions and rugged terrain have contributed to making this a challenging fire — and we’re only at the beginning of our traditional fire season,” Munsey said. “We are asking people to heed evacuation orders and stay out of the fire area. And do not forget that any type of spark, from matches and cigarettes to fireworks, can ignite a fire, so you need to be extremely cautious when dealing with such hazards.”
The El Dorado Fire ignited at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 5 at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, Calif. It has burned approximately 10,574 acres and is currently 16% contained.
(NOTE: These numbers are as of Noon today, Sept. 8)
Red Flag Warnings are in Effect
The arrival of Santa Ana winds today have led to the issuance of Red Flag Warnings, which are in effect through Thursday and could prompt an expansion of the evacuation orders further south and west of current evacuation areas:
- Yucaipa Blvd at Bryant intersection to the east;
- Yucaipa Blvd to Avenue E southeast to the intersection of Mesa Grande, east to Wildwood; Canyon Road to include all portions of Hidden Meadows;
- The southern portion of the Cherry Valley Community from Nancy Lane east to Beaumont Avenue, including portions of Riverside County down to Orchard Street;
- Oak Glen; Mountain Home Village and Forest Falls;
- North Bench Yucaipa (north of Carter St to Highway 38 and both sides of Bryant Street east and west).
Evacuation warnings were in place for Beaumont Avenue east to Hillside Place (in the Highland Springs area) to the Apple Fire burn perimeter to the north and Cherry Valley Blvd to the south.
The Red Cross has established a reception site for evacuees at the Yucaipa Community Center, 34900 Oak Glen Rd, Yucaipa, CA 92399.
There are also road closures in the area, specifically northbound Highway 38, which is closed at Bryant Avenue, and southbound Highway 38, which is closed at the town of Angelus Oaks. In addition, Oak Glen Road is closed at Pine Bench Road on the east and Cherry Croft/Jefferson on the west.
In response to fire dangers exacerbated by Santa Ana winds, the U.S. Forest Service has created the Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index (SAWTI) to keep the public informed about Santa Ana winds, including their severity and anticipated locations. The Index is currently forecasting a "Moderate" event for the Inland Empire, with northeast to east winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts to 50 mph developing across the mountains and below the canyons and passes this afternoon through Wednesday. Humidity is expected to drop into the single digits today, with little humidity recovery tonight and tomorrow.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a smoke advisory for some parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Residents who see ash or smell smoke are advised to avoid being outside to the extent possible, and remain indoors, with windows and doors closed, and avoid vigorous physical activity.
Residents are also encouraged to take advantage of the County’s TENS (Telephone Emergency Notification System) Alerts system, which provides rapid notification of impending dangers and evacuation orders.
To stay abreast of fire conditions and firefighting efforts, County officials also suggest referring to the Fire Department’s Twitter and Facebook news feeds.
 County Making Steady Progress on Contact Tracing Effort
San Bernardino County is in the middle of a campaign to encourage more of our county residents to get tested for COVID-19, especially now that the self-swab nasal tests are so simple, painless and results are usually returned within 48 hours.
But hand-in-hand with a robust testing effort must be an efficient contact tracing program. Officials from the County Department of Public Health (DPH) report that the department’s contact tracing program is showing notable improvement in its efforts to connect with and advise individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19.
When done in conjunction with testing, contact tracing slows the spread of the virus, keeping us on the path to reopen more sectors of our economy and eventually our schools. It does this by letting people know they may have been exposed to COVID-19 and should monitor their health for signs and symptoms, as well as get tested and possibly self-quarantine.
“We have seen a solid increase in the number of infected individuals we’ve been able to reach, from 46% a few weeks ago to 67% last week,” said County Public Health Director Corwin Porter. “We’re also seeing comparable improvements in the average length of time between a case being reported and the individual being contacted by one of our people, which is now less than a day.”
Porter added that the contact tracing team has expanded the number of languages spoken by its members, and he emphasized the critical role that contact tracing is playing in the County’s efforts to reduce the spread of the virus and improve public health.
“Contact tracing is a proven public health practice that has helped slow the spread of diseases ranging from measles and tuberculosis to HIV,” Porter said. “Our specially trained public health staff call residents who’ve tested positive and offer them guidance on how to respond. We then help them recall those they’ve been in close contact with so we can quickly notify those individuals of their potential exposure and what they can do to protect themselves and others.”
Among the benefits of contact tracing is the ability to uncover potential infection “hot spots” around the county, as well as to identify how the disease is spreading in the local community. According to Porter, one of the program’s key findings is that gatherings of family members and friends continues to be a major contributor to the spread of COVID-19.
“We appreciate how difficult it is to resist getting together with friends and loved ones, especially after months of relative isolation,” he said. “But we are continuing to plead with county residents to be extremely cautious and do everything they can to avoid gathering in such groups.”
After the recent Labor Day holiday, residents are encouraged to get tested at any of the many testing sites operating throughout the county. To find locations and make an appointment,visit the County’s testing webpage.
 New PSA Gives Step-by-Step Guide to Self-Swab Testing
A new video demonstrating the nasal self-swab procedure when taking a COVID-19 test has recently been added to the County’s COVID-19 testing web page. The video Public Service Announcement (PSA) explains and shows how easy, painless and quick it is to take the test, in four easy steps.
While appointments are recommended, all testing locations are now accepting walk-ups, and results are usually back to you within 72 hours. Get tested, it will help us control the coronavirus and open up more of our businesses.
More Inmates and Sheriff Employees Test Positive for COVID-19
As of today, a total of 336 County jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. Many of the inmates are only experiencing minor symptoms of the virus. The infected inmates are in isolation, being monitored around the clock, and are being provided with medical treatment. A total of 314 inmates have recovered.
A total of 180 department employees have tested positive for COVID-19; with 171 having recovered from the virus. Other employees are expected to return to work in the next few weeks.
Latest Stats
49,691 Confirmed Cases (up 0% from the previous day)
765 Deaths (up 0% from the previous day)
525,146 Tests (up 0.4% from the previous day)
For more statistics from the COVID-19 Surveillance Dashboard, click the desktop or mobile tab on the County’s sbcovid19.com website.
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