More than 100 people were temporarily stuck on the highway, urging roads to closure and evacuation after escaping 100 feet of flames from a brush fire that broke out late Saturday afternoon near a San Bernardino County reservoir.
Called Lake Fire, the flames broke out before 4pm at Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area, Highway 173 and Cedar Springs Dam Trail. By 8:48pm, the fire had grown to 478 acres just hours ago, according to Cal Firefighters. Fires contain zero percent.
More than 100 people were in the reservoir when the fire broke out and they were forced to escape from the flames. The sailors and jet skiers evacuated people from the beach in another area that was transported to a roadside vote on Highway 173 just north of the lake. Many people wore beach outfits and flip-flops.
Sean Kirkman and his girlfriend, Amber King, were among those forced to escape.
“I was west of the beach and fishing in the vegetation,” Kirkman said. “The fire sounded like velcro, so after I continued fishing, it continued to fish. I saw a 100-foot flame. Me and my girlfriend escaped from there.”
Gloria Olegell, a spokesman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, said about 75 to 100 people were camping in the area and were forced to evacuate to what they had. She said the Park Rangers helped transport people elsewhere on the highway. As of 8pm, the group had been returned to the vehicle.
Authorities said an evacuation order had been issued. North of Highway 138 is under an evacuation warning, while south of the highway, between Interstate 15 and Highway 173, is under forced evacuation.
Corona’s Sean Kirkman and his girlfriend Amber King were among many beach fans who waited on the roadside after evacuating from Cleghorn Beach via jet skis and boats and burned out on the roadside as the lake fire burned at Silverwood Lake, California on June 28, 2025. “I was west of the beach and I was fishing on the vegetation. The fire sounded like velcro, so I continued fishing,” Kirkman said.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Cal Fire said it is in a unified order with local governments, including the San Bernardino County Fire Department and the U.S. Forest Service. Firefighters are fighting the flames both on the ground and in the air. Fire is included in Zero.
Firefighters are expected to receive some necessary relief as the humidity is likely to increase from 20% to 45% overnight, and the intense winds that are helping to drive the fire tapered by 10pm
“But on Sunday the humidity returns to 20% and the afternoon winds get drier again, drying out,” Cal Fire said in writing. “Monday is expected to bring about strong gusts of winds above 30 mph, and could challenge suppression efforts.”
CAL firefighters said officials remained wary of monitoring the weather to adapt their operational strategies accordingly. The cause is under investigation.
On Friday, the Southern California fire chief warned that catastrophic wildfire season is likely to be in dry conditions with low rainfall.
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