Wildfires threaten communities, force mass evacuations in Southern California - KTLA Team coverage

>> NOW 11 DOZENS HOMES DESTROYED 3 MAJOR WILDFIRES BURN ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TONIGHT GOOD EVENING I'M MICHAEL AND TIMESHARE COW BEEN MORE THAN A 100,000 ACRES HAVE BEEN SCORCHED BY THE EXPLOSIVE FLAMES THAT CONTINUE TO BURN OUT OF CONTROL ACROSS 4 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNTIES GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM HAS DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOS ANGELES ORANGE RIVERSIDE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES COVERING ALL 3 MAJOR FIRES. THE BRIDGE FIRE BURNING NEAR WRIGHTWOOD IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY EXPLODED OVERNIGHT TO BECOME THE LARGEST AND MOST DAMAGING FIRE WITH AT LEAST 36 HOMES DESTROYED AND ARSON SUSPECT HAS BEEN ARRESTED ACCUSED OF SENDING THE LINE FIRE BURNING IN THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS NEAR RUNNING SPRINGS. AND THE AIRPORT FIRE THAT BEGAN IN ORANGE COUNTY IS NOW THREATENING HOMES IN LAKE ELSINORE IN RIVERSIDE COUNTY WITH SEVERAL HOMES ALREADY LOST WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE OF THE DEVASTATION THAT IS GROWING BY THE HOUR BEGINNING WITH RICK CHAMBERS LIVE FROM WRIGHTWOOD. >> WITH WATER TAKES SHORT HOPS INTO THE TREES THAT ARE BURNING JUST OFF LARGO VISTA ROAD. MORE THAN 50,000 ACRES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SCORCHED SINCE THE BRIDGE FIRE ERUPTED ON SUNDAY TORCHING SEVERAL DOZEN HOMES AND CABINS BETWEEN MOUNT BALDY AND MOUNTAIN I THOUGHT THERE WAS A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE A HOME TO GO BACK TO. >> GINA LEWIS WAS AT WORK YESTERDAY AFTERNOON WHEN HIS WIFE CALLED SAYING THAT THEY WERE SUDDENLY BEING ORDERED TO EVACUATE. HE TOLD US THE ONLY MINUTES TO GET LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO GRAB A FEW THINGS IN THE CAT. >> YOU GUYS GOT OTHER SEEMS LIKE KUZ ONCE I GOT OUT OF THERE YOU KNOW I REALIZE THAT YOU KNOW I COULD HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION THAT I STAYED REALLY EVEN ANY LONGER AT ALL. >> HEAVY SMOKE IS HAMPERED EFFORTS BY AIR UNITS TO FLY INTO SOME AREAS OUT HERE. THIS SHOT FROM NASA SHOWS JUST HOW BIG THAT SMOKE PLUME IS. >> BUT AIRCRAFT HAVE BEEN DROPPING CHECK ALONG THE FIRE'S PERIMETER IN AN ATTEMPT TO HALT ITS PROGRESS. >> AT THE FIRE LINES WE'RE ENGAGING POINT PROTECTION DOING WHATEVER WE CAN ON THE FRONT LINES OF THE FIRE TO HALT THE PROGRESS. >> BUT THOUSANDS OF SPOT FIRES ARE NOW SPRINKLED THROUGH THE STEEP IN HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN. THE LACK OF WIND THAT'S HELPED THE FIRE CREWS SLOW THE FIRE'S MOVEMENTS. BUT THERE IS LITTLE OR NO CONTAIN THAT TONIGHT. >> AND THE FACT ARE FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE. >> FOR THE LEWIS FAMILY TODAY BROUGHT SOME GOOD NEWS HOW ARE STILL WORKING ON HOUSES STILL STAND AND SO YOU KNOW FOR NOW WE'RE BLESSED AND WE'RE JUST PRAYING AND YOU KNOW THIS STAYS THAT WAY AND STAYS THAT WAY FOR EVERYONE ELSE AS WELL. >> BACK OUT HERE LIVE THERE WAS A SCARE THE FLAMES RACED THROUGH PART OF THE MOUNTAIN HIGH SKI RESORT BUT MANAGEMENT SAYING THERE'S NO SERIOUS DAMAGE. IN MOUNTAIN HIGH AND RIGHTLY, I'M RICK CHAMBERS GUYS A THROW BACK TO YOU, RICK THANK YOU. >> DRAMATIC NEW TIME LAPSE VIDEO SHOWS THE EXPLOSIVE AIRPORT FIRE RAGING AS GUSTY WINDS PUSHED THE BLAZE FROM ORANGE COUNTY'S TRIBUTE GO CANYON INTO RIVERSIDE COUNTY TONIGHT, THE MASSIVE BLAZES STILL THREATENING THOUSANDS OF HOMES WITH SOME HOMES ALREADY LOST TO THE FLAMES, BUT THERE IS SOME GOOD NEWS. COOLER TEMPERATURES HAVE SLOW DOWN THE FLAMES ALLOWING FIREFIGHTERS TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS RACHEL MENITOFF LIVE IN LAKE ELSINORE WITH THE LATEST ON THE AIRPORT FIRE TONIGHT RACHEL. >> CAN SHARE THIS FIRE ISN'T NECESSARILY ROWING MUCH IN 5, BUT IT ALSO HASN'T YET BEEN CONTAINED RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN SEEING SOME SPORADIC HOT SPOTS ON THE HILLSIDE, THE FIRE RIGHT NOW BURNING INSIDE THE CANYON SO THE FLAMES ARE NOT VISIBLE TO US WHAT YOU CAN ARE THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES HERE MANNING ONE OF SEVERAL CHECKPOINTS IN THE AREA ONCE RESIDENTS LEAVE THEIR HOME. THEY CANNOT GET BACK IN. >> A DEVASTATING WILDFIRES SPANNING TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COUNTIES, THE AIRPORT FIRE BROKE OUT MONDAY IN TRIBUTE CANYON QUICKLY SPREAD THROUGH ORANGE COUNTY AND HOPS THE FREEWAY INTO RIVERSIDE COUNTY AND IT CAME OUT OVER THE HILL. AND IT JUST LIT UP THE MOUNTAIN LAST NIGHT IT RAVAGED COMMUNITIES LIKE THIS ONE IN L CARISSA VILLAGE AND OTHERS ALONG ORTEGA HIGHWAY NEAR LAKE ELSINORE BURNED OUT CARS HOMES STILL SMOLDERING. WHAT'S LEFT A DESERTED NEIGHBORHOOD CHARRED AND UNRECOGNIZABLE THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE AND THE NUMBER OF HOMES DESTROYED ISN'T YET KNOWN WHAT WE KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN STRUCTURES DAMAGED AND DESTROYED. >> BECAUSE OF THE ACTIVE FIRE FIGHT AND THE HEAT IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS. WE HAVEN'T MADE ACCESS TO PEOPLE SUFFERED INJURIES AND 10 FIREFIGHTERS TREATED TO THIS INCREDIBLY DRAMATIC VIDEO OF ITALIAN CHIEF SEEN RESCUING A WOMAN CAUGHT IN THE MIDST OF THE FAST-MOVING FLAMES AT LAST CHECK THE FIRE BURNED MORE THAN 23,000 ACRES OFFICIALS SAY GREW EVER SO SLIGHTLY OVERNIGHT AND THEY'RE HOPING TO UPHOLD THAT TREND THE CHANGE IN WEATHER OVERNIGHT SLOWED THE FIRE'S GROWTH. >> AND EMPOWERED THE GROUND AND AIR FORCES. TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE FIRE LINES. >> COOLER WEATHER ALLOWED FIREFIGHTERS TO SLOW DOWN THE FLAMES AND FOR CREWS TO GET MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THEIR TACTICS TO MOVE CLOSER TO THE FIRE LINE. >> A REASSURING SIGN FOR PAUL KELLY WHOSE SURVEYING THE SCENE AND WILL REPORT BACK TO HIS FAMILY. >> IF ANYBODY IS GOING TO GO I'M GONNA SEND THEM AWAY AND I'LL STAY BACK AND SO I GOT MY MOTORCYCLE, IF THE FIRE GETS REALLY CLOSE. IT'S EASY ENOUGH FOR ME TO GET OUT AND GET OUT 10 DIFFERENT WAYS ON NEED THE ROAD STILL 5500 HOMES REMAIN UNDER AN EVACUATION ORDER AND THIS IMPACTS CLOSE TO 19,000 RESIDENTS IN THIS HILLSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD. THE ELDER SON SAY IN THEIR 33 YEARS HERE, THEY'VE WEATHERED PLENTY OF FIRES AND THIS ONE IS NO DIFFERENT YOU BOTH ARE IN THE EVACUATION ZONE. WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO STAY WHAT WHAT IS YOUR PLAN. >> CAUSE POINTED OUT THE OTHER FIRES, I'VE NOT LEFT. YOU KNOW IF IT GETS BAD ENOUGH IT COMES DOWN LOW AND STARTS DOING THE OTHER HOUSES THEN WE WOULD LEAVE. >> AND MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDERS CONTINUE FOR PLACES LIKE ROBINSON RANCH IN ORANGE COUNTY AND AREAS AROUND ORTEGA HIGHWAY THERE ARE DAMAGE ASSESSMENT TEAMS. THEY ARE READY TO GO UP TO THE IMPACTED AREAS. AND SURVEY THE AFTERMATH BUT AT THIS POINT IT IS WAY TOO DANGEROUS FOR RESIDENTS TO RETURN TO THE AREA WE'RE LIVE IN LAKE ELSINORE I'M RACHEL MENITOFF SURE MICHAEL BACK TO YOU IN THE STUDIO. >> RACHEL THANK YOU AND ARSON SUSPECT IS IN CUSTODY TONIGHT ACCUSED OF INTENTIONALLY SETTING THE MASSIVE WILDFIRE THAT IS STILL BURNING OUT OF CONTROL IN THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS TONIGHT, THE LINE FIRE HAS BURNED 36,000 ACRES, IT IS 18% CONTAINED TONIGHT WITH EVACUATION ORDERS AND WARNINGS STILL IN EFFECT KTLA. SANDRA MITCHELL IS LIVE IN HIGHLAND WHERE THE LINE FIRE BEGAN AND HAS MORE. >> ON THE ARSON SUSPECT IN CUSTODY. SANDI. >> YES CHAIR THAT BLACKENED HILLSIDE BEHIND US THAT IS THE EXACT SPOT WHERE THE LINE FIRE STARTED JUST OFF BASELINE ROAD HERE IN THE HIGHLANDS TONIGHT INVESTIGATORS TALKING ABOUT THIS ARSON SUSPECT BUT NOT DOING ANYTHING SPECIFIC NOT GIVING ANY SPECIFICS ABOUT THE MOTIVE IN THIS CASE OR WHAT KIND OF DEVICE THEY BELIEVE THE SUSPECT USED. NEW EVACUATIONS ALL THE WAY TO BIG BEAR TONIGHT IS THE LINE FIRE BURNS OUT OF CONTROL IN THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS AND NOW WE'RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE MAN ACCUSED OF INTENTIONALLY STARTING THE FIRE PUTTING PROPERTY AND PEOPLE AT RISK. >> ABLE TO LOOK AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT VIDEOS AND DETERMINE WHO THE SUSPECT WAS INVESTIGATORS SAY THEY USED AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS NEAR THE SCENE WHERE THE FIRE STARTED AND TRACKED THE SUSPECTED ARSONIST TO HIS HOME IN NORCO 35 MILES FROM THE POINT OF ORIGIN. >> CALM QUIET GUY HE WAS NO ONE EVER THOUGHT DO LIKE THAT TONIGHT 34 YEAR-OLD JUSTIN HOLSTON BERG IS UNDER ARREST FOR SUSPICION OF ARSON ARSON OF FORCE PROPERTY AND POSSESSION OF AN INCENDIARY DEVICE. >> INVESTIGATORS SERVED A SEARCH WARRANT AT THE SUSPECT'S HOUSE AND SAY THE EVIDENCE SHOWS HE COULD BE A SERIAL ARSONIST. >> IT'S MY BELIEF THAT AS TIME GOES ON WE ALLOWED TO DO THE CRITICAL WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING THAT WE'LL ACTUALLY FIND OUT THE SUSPECT MAY HAVE RESPONSIBLE FOR OTHER FIRES. >> THOSE WHO KNOW HOLSTON BERG ARE STUNNED THAT SHOCKS ME RIGHT NOW. EVERYBODY WOULD BEEN WANT TO START A FIRE. >> TONIGHT THE LINE FIRE HAS RIPPED THROUGH MORE THAN 50 SQUARE MILES FOREST 65,000 TO EVACUATED MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES ANGELES OAKS FOREST FALLS RUNNING SPRINGS AND RIGHT AFTER A TERRIFYING EVACUATION, BROOKE, HELEN CHARLES ASKED HER HOME ON PINE CONE DRIVE IN RUNNING SPRINGS. THERE IS ALMOST NOTHING LEFT. >> IT'S JUST REALLY IT HAPPENED REALLY FAST. WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GRAB BEFORE WE LEFT AND SO YOU KNOW I HAVE ABOUT 3 TEMPER ERRORS. >> SO MUCH DAMAGE INVESTIGATORS SAY STARTED BY ONE MAN. >> IT'S JUST HEARTBREAKING. IT'S JUST REALLY HEARTBREAKING. >> TONIGHT THAT ARSON SUSPECT STILL IN CUSTODY. HE'S BEING HELD ON $80,000 BAIL WE'RE LIVE TONIGHT IN CENTER MITCHELL KTLA, 5 I CAN SHARE BACK TO YOU ALL RIGHT SANDRA THANK YOU METEOROLOGIST VEER JIMENEZ TRACKING THE CONDITIONS TONIGHT VEER A YES AND AS YOU CAN WE ARE LOOKING AT THE COASTAL BASIN, THERE. >> WE ARE LOOKING FOR FROM THIS VANTAGE DEFINITELY CLEAR SKIES BUT THE MARINE LAYER IS GOING TO MOVE ON SHORE AND THAT IS GOING BRING BIG CHANGES IN THE MEANTIME NOW. >> LET'S TELL YOU WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON THE RED FLAG WARNING WILL BE WITH UNTIL TOMORROW AT 10:00AM THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES ARE STILL GOING TO BE QUITE LOW INLAND AWAY FROM THE COAST A 5 TO 10% AND OF COURSE THOSE WIND GUSTS OUT OF THE WEST ARE ALSO GOING TO BE PRETTY STRONG ANYWHERE BETWEEN 25 AND 40 MILES PER HOUR THAT'S GOING TO BE DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS INTO TOMORROW BY THURSDAY 10:00AM THOSE WINDS ARE GOING TO SUBSIDE AND THIS RED FLAG WARNING SHOULD EXPIRE THE WIND ADVISORY IS GOING TO STICK AROUND FOR ABOUT ANOTHER HOUR AND THAT'S GOING TO BE PRIMARILY FOR THE NORTHWESTERN END OF THE VIEWING AREA WHICH WILL INCLUDE PARTS OF NORTHERN SAN BERNARDINO AND THEN OF COURSE THE ANTELOPE VALLEY AND THEN PLACES LIKE BINT HER AND THE I-FIVE CORRIDOR WILL ALSO BE IMPACTED BY THOSE WINDS. WE ARE NOT EXPECTING TO STRETCH THOSE CONDITIONS SO THANKFULLY, ALL OF THOSE WILL BE ALLOWED TO