Bridge fire scorches SoCal: A photo essay

By Darren Loo and Christian Magdaleno , Oct. 1, 2024

Nestled in the Angeles National Forest lies two small towns, Mount Baldy Village above the Ontario area, and Wrightwood, nestled in a valley on the eastern side of the forest. The two typically close-knit communities, most well known for their ski resorts, recreational opportunities and proximity to the Greater Los Angeles area, were sent into a state of fear as the Bridge Fire swept through the eastern half of the Angeles National Forest in early September, narrowly missing the communities, as well as causing many of the foothill communities to be evacuated. Starting on Sept. 8 near Highway 39 above Glendora, the fire spread at a moderate rate. On Sept. 10, however, the fire was given good fire conditions, allowing it to grow exponentially. Although the fire appeared far away from campus, it still hit close to home for some Cal Poly Pomona students. One of those affected was Sean Crowley, a mechanical engineering student who calls Wrightwood his home. As residents of Mount Baldy Village and Wrightwood evacuated on Sept. 9 and 10 respectively, they didn’t know what they would come back to, or if they would have anything to come back to. Although some homes were destroyed, the two towns are still standing, which some consider it a success. The forest in the burn zone is now closed to the public for public safety and to allow the forest to recover, similar to what happened after the Bobcat Fire in 2020. A number of popular hiking trails amongst LA locals are in the closure, a few of which include the East Fork Trail, which is the Bridge to Nowhere trail, Inspiration Point Trailhead near Wrightwood, which is a trailhead to many trails as well as the Devil’s Backbone trail to Mount Baldy.

On September 10, the fire was fed by hot and dry weather along with high winds, allowing it to grow from about 3,800 acres to over 34,000 acres in less than 12 hours. | Darren Loo

On September 10, as the fire quickly raged through the mountain range, Wrightwood was issued a formal evacuation order by the San Bernardino County Sheriff. | Darren Loo

The remains of a house that were sectioned off in Wrightwood, this was one of the 81 structures destroyed and 17 damaged in the wildfire, according to a Cal Fire report. | Darren Loo

Firefighters from all over the state and hotshots from other states were sent to the Bridge Fire to attempt to slow it down and minimize damage to the communities it was looming upon. |Darren Loo

A ranch in Wrightwood that survived while much of the land burned. The fire spread rapidly since much of the area hasn’t dealt with a notable fire since the early 2000’s, creating a storage of dry fuel. | Christian Magdaleno

For the sake of public safety, the Angeles National Forest has enacted a forest closure in the burn zone of the Bridge Fire, similar to what happened after the Bobcat Fire, which also affected the Angeles National Forest. | Christian Magdaleno

Glendora Ridge Road, a connection to Glendora Mountain Road, both being in the path of the fire has been closed indefinitely, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. | Darren Loo

An evacuation order was issued by the San Bernardino County Sheriff the evening of Sept. 9 in the Mount Baldy Village area. The fire was reported to be 2,995 acres at 0% containment that night. | Darren Loo

Wrightwood was quiet and barren the day after the evacuations were lifted, with most traffic through town being firefighters or utility workers, along with a few residents. (Christian Magdaleno)

Citizens of Wrightwood erected banners in support of the firefighters stationed throughout the town. The Bridge fire has spanned across 54,878 acres, but is 97% contained as of Sunday, Sept. 29. (Christian Magdaleno)

Although Wrightwood was desolate the day after evacuations were lifted, residents and visitors quickly flocked back and a local hardware store even hosted an appreciation party where residents could meet the first responders that helped save Wrightwood. (Darren Loo)

“I don’t think I will see it the same. There’s so many things I grew up enjoying on the west side of town that are gone, so that’s going to be hard to adjust to I think,” said Crowley. (Darren Loo)