Lytle Creek Road will be opening at 10:00 am Wednesday October 7. For firefighter and public safety, access to the Sheep Fire area will not be allowed. Roadblocks are in place at the end of the pavement on Lytle Creek Road (before the Lytle Creek Firing Range – which will remain closed), Sheep Canyon Road at Lytle Creek Road, and 2N53 (Applewhite Truck Trail) at 2N52 (Lytle Creek Ridge Road).

Some businesses in Lytle Creek Canyon will be open for customers. The Lytle Creek Firing Range will remain closed, but the West End Gun Club will be re-opening. Applewhite Campground and Picnic area are still closed at this time.

Lone Pine Canyon Road and Swarthout Canyon Road remain closed. California Highway Patrol will continue to staff the roadblocks at Lone Pine Canyon Road south of Wrightwood, Lone Pine Canyon Road at Hwy 138, and Swarthout Canyon Road at Cajon Blvd.

Mandatory Evacuations are still in place for Swarthout Canyon and Lone Pine Canyon. The evacuation centers at Eisenhower High School and at the Victorville Fairgrounds are now closed as those staying there have returned home. Anyone needing assistance from the Red Cross may call: Red Cross/High Desert Chapter (Victorville): (760) 245-6511 or Red Cross/Inland Chapter (San Bernardino): (909) 888-1481.

Mandatory evacuations were lifted for Wrightwood at noon Tuesday. We would like to remind residents to be on the alert as they are returning home as fire crews and equipment are still on the roadways.

Pacific Crest Trail Closure: The Pacific Crest Trail is closed from Soledad Canyon Road near the Angeles National Forest boundary near Acton to Interstate 15 in Cajon Pass. This is due to the Station Fire on the Angeles National Forest, and the Sheep Fire on the San Bernardino National Forest. Through hikers can use Soledad Canyon Road, Pearblossom Highway, and State Route 138 as an alternate.

Sheep Fire History: The Sheep Fire started along Sheep Canyon Road near Lytle Creek at about 2:11 pm on Saturday October 3, 2009. It burned northeast towards Mormon Rocks then northwest up Lone Pine Canyon. Five structures were destroyed in the Lone Pine and Swarthout Canyon areas including one residence. Five vehicles, four RVs, and two pieces of heavy equipment were also lost.

The fire burned to the top of Lone Pine Canyon near Wrightwood and the town was evacuated on Sunday morning. It burned to about 3/10 of a mile from Wrightwood homes, but firefighters took a stand and were successful in keeping the fire from burning into Wrightwood. Numerous helitankers and fixed wing air tankers dropped water and retardant on the fire and dozers constructed fire lines. Back fires were also set to protect homes at the eastern edge of Wrightwood. Their efforts paid off and no homes in Wrightwood were destroyed. Wrightwood residents were allowed to return to their homes at noon on Tuesday October 6th.

Today crews are continuing to patrol, mop-up and construct fire line. Area residents will continue to see some smoke and occasional flare-ups from within the fire perimeter. Interior unburned vegetation will catch on fire occasionally and produce some smoke columns, but no fire spread to the perimeter of the fire is expected. Infrared mapping conducted by aircraft have assisted firefighters on the ground in targeting and extinguishing these heat sources.

Fire suppression repair and rehabilitation will begin today.

Eight firefighters have been injured on the Sheep Fire but no fatalities have been reported.

The Sheep Fire is 75% contained. Full containment of the fire is expected on October 10th. When referring to a fire, the difference between a fire being contained or controlled can be unclear. When a fire is contained a fuel break has been completed around the fire manually by hand line, and/or mechanically by dozer line. These breaks may also include the use of natural barriers such as rocky outcroppings. When a fire is controlled, it has been extinguished completely, including hot spots. When a fire has been controlled, the fireline is secure enough so that flare-ups within the fire perimeter will not break through the line. Therefore, just because a line is contained does not mean that the fire is controlled.