Brush fire north of Upland chars at least 200 acres

A brush fire north of Upland today charred at least 200 acres, but no structures were threatened, San Bernardino County fire officials said.

The fire was raging in the San Antonio Heights area about 1:30 p.m., but had started to simmer into a blanket of white smoke late this afternoon as firefighters, assisted by water-dropping helicopters, battled the flames. The fire was 30% contained as of 5 p.m., officials said.

An airtanker drops fire retardant on the eastern edge of the fire Thursday. Firefighters along with an aggressive air attack slows a fire above San Antonio Heights Thursday afternoon October 23, 2008. /

“Things are looking pretty good,” said Tracey Martinez, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department. The fire is expected to burn into the night, but should be extinguished by Friday.

Firefighters remain on guard because of existing weather conditions, Martinez said. Winds are light and breezy, and a red flag warning triggered by Santa Ana winds will remain in effect in the area until 11 p.m. Saturday.

The burned area is in the same location where the 69,000-acre Grand Prix fire raged five years ago, destroying nearly 200 homes and causing $11.6 million in damage. That fire burned from Fontana to La Verne.

Retired Montebello Fire Chief Dennis Wiskus, 61, who lives in San Antonio Heights, said one major difference with today’s fire is that “the brush load is all burned down [from five years ago]. It’s nowhere near as heavy.”

Wiskus praised the quick response of the U.S. Forest Service and San Bernardino County Fire Department.

“I saw an assistant chief getting everyone on the same frequency right away,” he said.

Today’s flames resurrected some raw emotions from neighbors, including Cheri Jo Gitney, who lost her home in the Grand Prix fire.

Upon spotting the flames, Gitney teared up, saying, “I didn’t think we would ever see it again like that.” She said that not all her neighbors who lost their homes have been able to rebuild since the fire.

West Coast 911 source - Written by LA Times