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Massive Blue Cut Fire Forces More Than 82,000 People To Evacuate
The explosive Blue Cut Fire, which started Tuesday morning in the Cajon Pass, has since crossed into the High Desert and grown to more than 30,000 acres, leading Governor Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency in San Bernardino County Tuesday afternoon. An estimated 82,640 people have been ordered to evacuate their homes as of Wednesday morning, according to a federal incident report. Maps of the full evacuation areas can be found here.
Interstate 15, the main route from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, remains closed from Hesperia to San Bernardino. Sections of the 2 freeway and the 138 are also closed, according to CalTrans. Clogged traffic has reportedly made evacuations more difficult for residents.
The fire remains 0 percent contained, according to KTLA. “We know that we’ve lost structures; it’s unknown how many at this time,” Tracey Martinez, public information officer for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, told the L.A. Times.
More scenes from the #BlueCutFire near #Wrightwood. @KNX1070 @CBSLA pic.twitter.com/PM0R7PJ7jB
— Jon Baird (@KNXBaird) August 17, 2016
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