The Lake Fire (the largest of the two fires) is burning in the northern portion of the San Gorgonio Wilderness. All hiking trails into the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area have been closed due to the proximity of the fire to these trails. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed from Whitewater Preserve to Onyx Summit. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. It is approximately 17,305 acres in size and burning in old-growth timber in the San Bernardino Mountains that fire officials said Friday haven’t burned in decades. Since the area hasn’t burned, there is a lot of fuel, and in a record drought year, that can make the firefighting efforts more difficult. It is currently 21% contained. There are approximately 500 structures threatened, however, no structures are believed to have been damaged or destroyed at this time. The Morongo Valley and Pioneer town Areas have been inundated with smoke, which remains in the area. The Southern California Air Quality Management District has issued a smoke advisory for the areas, however, no evacuations have been ordered. Overall, the growth of the fire has slowed. High Temperatures and westerly winds will continue to push smoke towards the east, impacting residents in the surrounding area.
