El Dorado fire threatening Angelus Oaks in the San Bernardino Mountains

An early morning flareup by the El Dorado fire on Monday, Sept. 14, threatened the San Bernardino Mountains community of Angelus Oaks – prompting an urgent message from authorities that anyone who remained in the town should leave immediately.

Angelus Oaks was already under evacuation orders.

“We have increased fire activity below Angelus Oaks,” in a creek area, Cal Fire spokeswoman Cathey Mattingly said.

Firefighters were in the town, with more being sent.

All residents who have not yet evacuated in the Angelus Oaks area please EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY. @CALFIREBDU @CHP_San_Berdoo @sbcountysheriff @SBCOUNTYFIRE

— San Bernardino National Forest (@SanBernardinoNF) September 14, 2020

The energized fire was sending a large plume of smoke up, she said.

The El Dorado fire, started by a smoke bomb set off at a gender-reveal photo shoot at a park in Yucaipa on Sept. 5, has burned 14,478 acres and was 44% contained as of Monday morning. Containment is the percentage of the fire’s perimeter that will no long expand, because of firefighters’ work or barriers such as roads and bodies of water.

In addition to Angelus Oaks, evacuation orders were in effect for  Mountain Home, Forest Falls, 7 Oaks and the Barton Flats/Jenks Lake area.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

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