Angelus Oaks/Hwy 38

[kkgokc]

Does anyone have any info re fire run into Angelus Oaks &/or Seven Oaks. Have cabin in Barton Flats/South Fork and am freaking out in Oklahoma City. Thanks and God Bless to all and esp. fire personnel.

Kathy

[Lydia Uribe]

Based on what I'm seeing on local television coverage, the Hwy 38 corridor (including Angelus Oaks and Barton Flats) is under mandatory evacuation, but the fire is still many miles away.

[kkgokc]

Thank you Lydia (I think).

[Bob Seidenberg]

The information that I have received from contacts at Mill Creek tell me that there is no current fire activity on Hwy 38

[Larry]

So far so good on the southfork area. Here's another message board:

www.rimoftheworld.net/messages/54

[Scott Mong]

I live in Angelus Oaks and was able to contact the San Bernardino County Emergency Services personnel for and update at 12:30 p.m. today. Their number is usually busy so I was lucky. They said that two days ago fire fighters were able cut a firebreak and set backfires along the Santa Ana River area west of Angelus Oaks. Today in a separate TV news report a statement was issued stating that fire fighters used the good weather today to cut another firebreak and set more backfires to further isolate Angelus Oaks from the current fire. The current fire front is still many miles away just west of Big Bear and east of Lake Arrowhead.

The last information I was able to get from a confidential source within on of the agencies involved on resident returning was residents of Mountain Home, Forest Falls, and Angelus Oaks might be able to return tonight. However its more likely to be tomorrow since there is still no electricity in the area due to Southern California Edison cutting power in the area to prevent any new fires caused by high winds and the power lines. The indication I got from my unnamed source was that residents of Big Bear would not be allowed to return tomorrow. Resident of Seven Oaks, Barton Flats and South Fork probably would not be allowed to return tomorrow but maybe allowed the following day to return.

Several residents apparently know about the tick of leaving their phones off the hook. If you have a non-electric phone and leave it off hook when called it will be busy. It can be left in this condition for days or weeks. If your house burns down the phone will melt and when the number is called you will receive a ring with no answer. As long as you still get a busy signal your house is still there. I have been calling several busy numbers off and on in Barton Flats, Mountain Home and Angelus Oaks so far none have yet returned a ring with no answer. All indications are the fire never entered Barton Flats, Mountain Home and Angelus Oaks. Burn maps at www.calmast.org/mast/public/default.htm confirm this.

[rj seven oaks]

I talked to Henry at the bottom of Seven Oaks Road at 1:00PM; the fire is west of them about 4 miles on the west side of Bear Creek/Santa Ana River in the area of Hemlock Creek. His brother has flown over the area--they have two of the big pumper helicopters taking water from behind the dam and dumping on the fire, and apparently trying to make a stand at Manzanita Flat area. Wind is blowing up the canyon very hard at this time (1:00pm). It''s difficult to pinpoint, but you can find Manzanita Flat and Alder Creek/Hemlock Creek on this website: www.topowest.com/California/framestate.html

[ANGELUS OAKS UPDATE]

I was evacuated from Angelus Oaks on Tuesday morning at 8:00 am. I have been trying to keep on top of things with websites, news and other sources. My dear friends father is on the Citizen Patrol and they are making daily runs throughout the communities starting in Mountain Home Village up to Onyx Summit to keep an eye on things. As of yesterday, everything was safe and secure. The Highway Patrol is doing an excellent job of preventing ANYONE from going up the mountain, with the exception of officials, and they are making anyone who comes down the mountain submit to a search of their vehicles. This is detering any looters. I talked to the firefighters in the Angelus Oaks station yesterday around 4pm and according to them the fire was not near us as of yet and everything was calm and quiet. The bulldozers have finished making their firebreak around the town and now we have to wait. For any of you looking for-up to-date websites here are a few I have found:
www.calmast.com and wwwKBHR933.com to be extemely informative and helpful. The last website is for a radio station broadcasting out of Big Bear which also happens to be the command center for the fire fighting efforts. They are doing a great job of reporting accurate information of the fire. Hope this helps.

[Bill]

To Scott Mong and all others interested.. the information about leaving phones off hook is erroneous, I work for a phone company and live in A.O.. leaving the phone off hook eventually leads to lockout and a busy signal. a fire could melt lines to a shorted condition telling you nothing. ( is it shorted out ? or off hook?) besides if many people leave phones off hook it ties up voice ports and ties up valuable local resources. that is why the public is told to limit phone activity in areas of natural disasters to keep the limited amount of circuits available for local emergency services.

[HIGHWAY 38 PARTIALLY OPEN]

Hello Fellow Mountaineers!
As of 6pm Halloween Night those of you in Mountain Home Creek and Forest Falls got a treat. The highway is open and they are letting residents return home to those two locations only! The road block is still in effect for all those communities further up the mountain.

PLEASE COOPERATE with the authorities running the road blocks by respecting what they tell you and don't hassle them about going to your house if it's further up the mountain, (i.e. ANGELUS OAKS, SEVEN OAKS). Remember these people are there for YOUR protection.

PLEASE DRIVE SAFELY as they are predicting snow above the 4500 ft. level. The last thing we need is for some dufus in a hurry to get home, to get into an accident and then have to have the fire department leave their post to come out and rescue your sorry impatient ass and THEN have the CHP close the road again!

[guest]

The mandatory evacuation for the Summit Valley, Lake Silverwood, Cleghorn Canyon, Waterman Canyon, Angeles Oaks, Barton Flats, and Seven Oaks up to Onyx Peak have been reduced to voluntary evacuation areas. These areas are open to residents only, and proof of residence will be required. This includes, but is not limited to, Driver's license and/or utility bills. Waterman Canyon residents only need to pick up a Resident pass from the SBD County Sheriff's Department at Wildwood Park at 40th and Waterman in San Bernardino.

[Be Safe]

the correct calmast link is: jicfire.calmast.org/fireinfo/oldfire.html

As we all head back up to our mountain homes please be curtious and cautious. Firefighters and Rescue personnel are still working the fire area.