Blaze Still Keeps Many From Homes

The Williams fire in Angeles National Forest continued to fade under soggy skies Sunday, but hundreds of Mount Baldy Village residents remained off the mountain as fire officials warned of possible flare-ups.

The wildfire, which has burned 36,160 acres and led to the park’s temporary closure, was 80% contained by Sunday evening. Once burning on three fronts, the weeklong blaze has been reduced to one fire head about 1 1/2 miles west of the village.

That front smoldered Sunday under a low pressure system that brought drizzle and high humidity. Firefighters, meanwhile, continued working on a fire break to protect the town in case the flames continued to advance.

Fire officials said the blaze may be fully contained by Tuesday, but added that conditions are still volatile. More than 2,000 firefighters remain in the forest, and officials said it was too early to lift the evacuation order for the town’s estimated 900 residents.

“We can’t be lulled into complacency,” San Bernardino County Fire Capt. James Wilkins said. “The threat is not imminent, but the weather could change.”

The blaze began Sept. 22 near Williams Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains and quickly spread south and east, at one point stretching 11 miles across the forest’s steep canyons and dense woods. The cause of the blaze is still unknown, though investigators have ruled out campfires and barbecues as a source. The injury toll reached seven on Sunday, but no injury was life threatening.

In Mount Baldy Village, the evacuation has prompted complaints from many residents who have been unable to return to their homes since being told to leave Tuesday night. Many say the evacuation order has been enforced unevenly, with some being allowed to stay in the village.

Officials said about 100 people have stayed behind, vowing to protect their homes themselves. In such cases, there is little that law enforcement can do, they say.

“We can’t slap cuffs on people and drag folks from their homes. That’s not what the Forest Service is about,” said Jonetta Holt, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service.