Officials said that The Bridge Fire is now the largest active wildfire in California, burning about 50,000 acres across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties and forcing residents to flee as it destroyed dozens of homes. As of Thursday morning, the fire was still listed at 0% containment; the fire began on Sunday afternoon with the cause still unknown. About 40 homes have been destroyed near the San Gabriel Mountains as authorities battled several large blazes aided by federal assistance and the state National Guard.
The Bridge Fire threatened 1,068 structures as Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire. Numerous buildings and structures were already impacted, and damage to power infrastructure was reported. The fire could continue to grow as it moves to areas with “receptive fuels with little to no fire history,” according to Cal Fire, who warned that the expanding inferno may cause “spot fires” as it reaches areas of “receptive fuels with little to no fire history.”
The rapid growth of The Bridge Fire has surpassed the Line Fire, which is also burning in San Bernardino and has scorched another 37,000 acres with 18% containment. Another large wildfire active in southern California, the Airport Fire, is affecting Orange and Riverside counties and continued to burn with 5% containment. Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency related to the Line Fire last weekend, which was 18% contained as of Wednesday night at 36,481 acres in size.
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