North Fire (2015)

North Fire
Date(s)
  • July 17, 2015 (2015-07-17) –
  • July 21, 2015 (2015-07-21)
LocationNear Victorville, San Bernardino County, California
Coordinates34°20′20″N 117°28′41″W / 34.339°N 117.478°W / 34.339; -117.478
Statistics[1][2]
Burned area4,250 acres (17 km2)
Impacts
Non-fatal injuries3
Structures destroyed
  • 7 homes
  • 16 outbuildings
  • 74 vehicles
Map
North Fire (2015) is located in southern California
North Fire (2015)

The North Fire was a wildfire that occurred in the Mojave Desert near the towns of Victorville and Hesperia, north of San Bernardino and south of Bakersfield, California. The fire began on July 17, 2015. The areas most impacted were adjacent to Interstate 15, where the Cajon Pass passes through the San Bernardino National Forest. The fire spread to 4,250 acres, and burned homes and other buildings, as well as numerous vehicles stranded on the interstate. Seventy-four passenger vehicles and trucks were burned along the highway or in neighboring communities due to the fire.[3] The fire closed Interstate 15, the main highway connecting Southern California with Las Vegas, Nevada, during the first day of the blaze.[4]

One-thousand fire fighters battled the blaze during the height of the fire, which as of the evening of July 17 was five percent contained.[5] Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the towns of Phelan and Baldy Mesa, which were threatened or impacted by the fire.[6] Two-hundred-four people utilized an emergency shelter set up at Serrano High School, in Phelan.[1] The evacuation orders were lifted as crews worked to contain the fire. On the evening of July 18, the fire was reported to be 45% contained, after a rain storm from the remnant moisture of Hurricane Dolores brought cooler temperatures to the chaparral fueled fire.[7] By the following morning, the fire was reported to be 60% contained.[8] On Monday, July 20, the fire was reported to be 75% contained, but had also grown from 3,500 to 4,250 acres.[9] The fire was fully contained on July 21, and fire fighters remained on scene to douse hot spots in the burn area.[3] The remnants of Hurricane Dolores assisted with putting the fire out by drenching the area the same weekend, while causing other damage in Southern California.[10]

The presence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs/drones) in the area that interfered with fire fighting efforts has renewed discussion of legislation to limit the operation of drones in the United States. In response to the drone activity over active wildfires, San Bernardino County, the California State Legislature and the Congress of the United States have all proposed restrictions on privately owned drones.

  1. ^ a b "UPDATE: Containment reaches 60 percent, freeway fully open". Victorville Daily Press. July 19, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  2. ^ "North Fire". CAL FIRE. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  3. ^ a b "NORTH FIRE: Blaze completely contained". Press Enterprise. July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  4. ^ "Brush Fire Jumps Southern California Freeway, Burning Cars". The New York Times. July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  5. ^ "1,000 firefighters battle blaze that leaps 15 Freeway, burns cars, threatens homes". Los Angeles Times. July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  6. ^ "North Fire: Blaze closes I-15, burns 4 structures and 18 vehicles, forces evacuations". Victorville Daily Press. July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  7. ^ "North fire is 45% contained as unusual summer storm moves through area". Los Angeles Times. July 18, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  8. ^ "'North Fire' 60 percent contained, evacuations lifted". KESQ-TV. July 19, 2015. Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  9. ^ "NORTH FIRE: 75 PERCENT CONTAINED, 4,250 ACRES BURNED". ABC News. July 20, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  10. ^ Lin, Rong-Gong; Panzar; Javier; Serna; Joseph (2015-07-21). "Fires followed by floods: California faces dramatic climate year with El Nino, drought". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-09-02.