Wrightwood Sheep Fire mostly contained

The Sheep Fire that has burned 997 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains is 81% contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The evacuation orders for communities in the area have been lifted as of Wednesday. No structures have been burned by the fire. 

The Sheep Fire in the San Gabriel Mountains raged since Sunday and prompted an evacuation of Wrightwood. On Tuesday, only 27% of the fire was contained and 990 acres of land were burned. The fire also signals the wildfire season is alive and well in Southern California.

Firefighters from the Angeles National Forest and San Bernardino County Fire Department are running into issues, according to City News Service. Dense vegetation, steep terrain, and high, erratic winds have made the 673 firefighters’ jobs much more challenging.

Evacuations & Road Closures

Highway 2 is still closed while other communities such as Phelan and Wildhorse Canyon have had their evacuation orders rescinded. So far, no fatalities or injuries because of the fire have been reported.

Wrightwood has had to deal with fires before, as the Bobcat Fire in 2020 caused similar evacuation efforts to take place. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation, but precedence suggests that drought conditions and other factors might be responsible. Half a dozen fires broke out in California in May alone. Increased temperatures and the drought that still plagues most of the state have made fires common.  

In 2021, there were 3,205 fires across the entire state of California, while the state this year has had 2,703 so far. Certain cities, like Los Angeles, are trying to combat the changes in the environment by trying to achieve carbon neutrality. 

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