Gobblers fire in San Bernardino mountains is fully contained
Firefighters have fully contained a small but persistent fire in the San Bernardino National Forest that was one of many blazes sparked by lightning more than two weeks ago.
Sparked on Aug. 19, the Gobblers fire grew to 413 acres and was driven into the Stockton Flats area after being fueled by down-canyon winds, steep terrain and dry sagebrush, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire was fully contained Tuesday, but some crews remained on “patrol status” Wednesday.
Although smoke was visible from Cajon Pass and the high desert, the fire had not threatened any homes or communities. At one point, portions of forest roads 3N06 and 3N33 were closed above the fire line, according to the Forest Service.
More than 350 fire personnel had been assigned to the blaze on the ground, as well as three air tankers, one prop plane and four helicopters.
The blaze was an outcrop of the lightning fires that started popping up in mid-August as lightning strikes turned dead, dry trees into smoldering ignition switches for small spot fires.
In all, more than 20 small fires – many of them confined to roughly an acre – were part of the August lightning cluster, according to the Forest Service.
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