The recent fires started on Sunday have plagued Orange County and other parts of SoCal in flames. They have been split into three distinct fires: the Airport Fire, the Bridge Fire, and the Line Fire.
The Line Fire
The main fire, the Line Fire, reportedly started somewhere along Aplin St. last Thursday, September 5th. It has since burned over 34000 acres as of Wednesday, September 11th. Police have since arrested Justin Wayne Halstenbern. They suspect that he is the cause of this calamity. It has been reported that only 14 percent of the fire is contained and is expected to keep spreading to even more land. The evacuation orders can be found here.
The Airport Fire
The fire closest to Santiago High School, the Airport fire, started in Trabuco Canyon, on September 9th. The fire has ravaged nearly 22,000 acres now, and it looks like there is no plan to stop it, with 0 percent of the fire being contained. Although thankfully, no homes or structures have been damaged by the flames, parts of Riverside County as well as Orange County, are still being evacuated. This is because even though no houses have been burned, residential areas are still at risk of catching fire. The fire was believed to be sparked by construction machinery planning to place boulders on a trail to restrict access to trespassers. The fire was first reported at 1 o’clock, on Trabuco Creek Rd. It first started with the fire burning only about 7 acres of land. This all changed when, within only a few hours, it ignited over 2000 acres of land. Since then it has slowly crept up to Santiago Peak, where it sits today. Almost all efforts are being utilized to keep the fire from scorching the radio towers to the ground. The areas that require urgent evacuation can be found here.
The Bridge Fire
The third and final fire as of this writing is the Bridge Fire. This fire started Tuesday, September 8th, at exactly 2:12 pm. It was reportedly started on Camp Bonita Rd. This tragic fire has scorched over 50,000 as of September 11th. The cause is believed to be arson. Although the cause is known, there are no suspects that have been arrested presently. This fire is 0 percent contained. Thankfully no one has since been injured from these flames. The evacuation orders and more info are here. We can now only hope that no one else is injured during this time.
Evacuation Information
For more updates on the fire, containment efforts, and orders for evacuations, look here:
As this fire spreads through more of SoCal, you must evacuate if advised to do so. The San Bernardino County Sheriff stated in an “X” post, “Make sure to gather your pets, important documents, medications, and any essential belongings before you leave. Your safety is the priority! Don’t delay in evacuating ”
What Does This Mean For Our Schools?
Most school districts in the surrounding area have since closed for the time being. Corona Unified School District (CNUSD) has since closed only 3 elementary schools. Those are Todd Elementary, Temescal Valley Elementary, and Wilson Elementary. Every other school in the district will be open for the time being.
