Weather Helps Firefighters Gain Ground

More than 2,000 firefighters--aided by serendipitous weather--made significant headway Tuesday in defeating a wildfire that for four days had marched steadfastly toward the quaint mountain communities of Idyllwild and Pine Cove.

The blaze advanced no further Tuesday than where it stalled Monday night--in thick brush and trees just a few hundred yards from homes and other structures on the western fringe of the towns.

Firefighters and bulldozer operators took advantage of gentle breezes--blowing mostly down the mountainside--to furiously construct a firebreak separating the 9,580-acre blaze from the towns.

Air tankers dropping fire retardant and helicopters dropping water continued their drill throughout the day, dousing the worst spot fires burning in steep canyon washes. By the evening, officials said the fire was 40% contained.

Tuesday’s firefighting effort was aided by overcast skies that dropped temperatures about 10 degrees to the mid-90s and by humidity that hit about 30% in late afternoon.

One firefighter said: “You can’t say we’ve won yet, but we’re winning. We have the upper hand.”

Because the fire made no advance Tuesday--and because the smoke blew mostly westward, blanketing the Hemet Valley--there were few visible signs attesting to the potential seriousness of the blaze.

A spokesman for the California Highway Patrol said the biggest challenge of the day was turning back local residents and vacationers who wanted to return. The two communities were evacuated Monday when the fire flared precariously.

Mary Bowman, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service, said no decision had been made as to when to lift the evacuation notice because the fire could still be carried by winds into Idyllwild or Pine Cove.

Another concern, she said, was complacency. “This is a very dangerous time,” she said. “Everyone is getting tired, and the fire doesn’t look like it’s doing anything because the flames are laying down.”

But officials ordered all of the firefighters--some from as far as New Mexico--to remain on the scene, including several hundred who were assigned to protect homes nearest the fire, through at least Tuesday night.

The possibility of thunderstorms over the San Jacinto Mountains also kept fire strategists on edge.

“Weather is the engine that drives a wildfire,” said Bill Montgomery, a captain with the Orange County Fire Protection District. “Right now the weather is good, and we’ve been able to put firefighters right on the fire lines.

“But if the wind picks up--or we have a thunderstorm that creates even more erratic winds--then trying to stop a fire is like trying to stop a locomotive with a pickup truck. And then the fire can grow so hot, it will dissipate the storm cell and not give us any rain.”

Among the firefighters were those from Idyllwild’s Fire Department, who were assigned to work with the out-of-town departments to help them find their way around the mountain’s winding streets.

Rick McKinley was one such firefighter, working with an Orange County group at a post in Idyllwild while firefighters from San Jacinto parked their rig in front of his home in Pine Cove.

He opened the place up to them, he said, so they could raid his refrigerator, take showers and use the bathroom. When he checked on them Tuesday morning, they announced proudly that they had watered his plants, McKinley said.

Meanwhile, a communitywide barbecue and picnic scheduled for Saturday--to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the local Fire Department--was canceled because the crews were too busy to prepare for the festivity.