Skies above Southern California wildfire looked like ‘a nuclear warhead had been set off’

Firefighters from the Mill Creek hotshot crew monitor the Line fire burning over a ridge off Highway 38 on Monday. “It was a giant mushroom with compact billowy clouds and crazy smoke rings around it on the plume coming up.” As mountain residents remained on guard, firefighting crews in Southern California continued to battle out-of-control wildfires Monday that had scorched thousands of acres in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties and forced residents to flee their homes amid record-breaking heat. San Bernardino’s Line fire prompted mandatory evacuations in mountain communities that included Running Springs, Arrowbear Lake, Forest Falls and Mountain Home Village. “As the Line Fire continues to pose a threat to San Bernardino communities, we’re pouring resources into this incident aggressively by deploying more air and ground support through the California National Guard,” Newsom said in a statement. Other areas under evacuation orders, which are issued when conditions are immediately dangerous and life-threatening, include: The area from Calle Del Rio to Highway 38, including Greenspot Road North All underdeveloped land east of Highway 330 to Summertrail Place and north of Highland Avenue The areas of Running Springs east of Highway 330 and south of Highway 18 The area east of Orchard Road to Cloverhill Drive from Highland Avenue north to the foothills North of Highland Avenue and east of Palm Avenue to Highway 330 Garnett Street east to the 138 and Mill Creek north to the foothills Forest Falls Mountain Home Village Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks and all campgrounds and cabins in the area Evacuation shelters were open at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds, at 14800 7th St. in Victorville, and the Jessie Turner Community Center in Fontana at 15556 Summit Ave. Terrain is burned on both sides of Highway 330 from the Line fire in Highland.