The Bridge Fire began on Sunday, September 8th, 2024 in Los Angeles County, California, and exploded in size yesterday, September 10, 2024.
Mountain High Ski Resort, located near Wrightwood, California, was affected by the massive blaze in the evening hours of September 10th, as captured by the resort’s various webcams. Watch below as flames engulf one of the resort’s chairlifts.
VIDEO: Mountain High, Bridge Fire, 9/10/24
UPDATE (12:30PM ET): Mountain High Resorts has released an update to their Instagram account stating that, “all the main lifts and buildings survived with little to no damage.” It’s unclear how this statement relates to the video above, but the resort is planning on releasing more updates throughout the day. We will continue to update this article as more information is made available.
UPDATE (4:00PM ET): POWDER has received a press release from Mountain High Resorts. The resort anticipates opening on time for the Winter ’24/’25 season. Read it in its entirety below:
The Caanf Bridge Fire moved through parts of Mountain High Resort overnight, briefly engaging with a few lifts. However, as of 11 a.m. this morning, initial reports indicate that base facilities remain intact. Los Angeles County Fire Station 130, stationed at the West Resort, has been credited with the incredible work of defending the property. The captain of Engine 130 also confirmed that the building and restaurant at the top of East Resort survived the fire.
“We are grateful beyond words for the swift and courageous actions of Los Angeles County Fire Department Division 5 and all the first responders working tirelessly to protect our resort and community,” said John McColly, vice president of marketing for Mountain High and CaliPass Resorts. “We stand in solidarity with everyone affected by the Caanf Bridge Fire and are committed to supporting our community as we come out of this tragedy stronger than ever.”
The resort is still assessing the situation but anticipates opening on time for the upcoming season. While the fire briefly impacted some of the resort’s infrastructure, there have been no confirmed reports of structural damage, and teams will conduct thorough inspections as soon as it is safe to access the area.
Mountain High Resort continues to work closely with the Unified Command, which includes CAL FIRE, Los Angeles County Fire, and the San Bernardino County Fire, among others. The safety of staff, guests, and the surrounding community remains the top priority.
The situation remains fluid, and Mountain High Resort will provide updates as credible information becomes available. The resort is hopeful for the continued safety of the firefighters and law enforcement teams on the front lines.
Photo: Courtesy California Mountain Resort Company
Photo: Courtesy California Mountain Resort Company
The Angeles National Forest released an incident statement late on September 10th explaining that the Bridge Fire, “exhibited extreme fire behavior” due to strong north and northeasterly winds. The fire is currently 40,000 acres and growing. Full statement below:
Today, the Bridge Fire exhibited extreme fire behavior and spread north and northeast, towards the communities of Wrightwood and Pinon Hills. New evacuation orders were issued by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department starting at approximately 4:57 p.m. for these communities. CAL FIRE – San Bernardino/Inyo/Mono Unit entered into Unified Command this afternoon.
Structural protection and defense groups have been placed in the communities of Wrightwood and Mount Baldy, with more of these resources on order. Top priorities for suppression efforts remain on the north and east sides of the fire to protect communities and critical communication and power infrastructure. At this time, we cannot confirm damage to structures. Once it is safe for damage assessment teams to evaluate, information will be released.
To stay up-to-date with current wildfire information, follow the Angeles National Forest InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident…/caanf-bridge-fire
ALERT California, a public safety program leveraged by the University of California San Diego, captured the following images of the wildfire reaching Mountain High yesterday evening.
UC San Diego
UC San Diego
UC San Diego
We will continue to update this article as more information is released about the damage at Mountain High and the surrounding area. In the meantime, we ask that you keep the hard-working wildfire fighters in your thoughts as they continue to battle this devastating blaze.
Related: Fire Blazes Near Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe and Sky Tavern
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Source Agencies
