The Line Fire erupted this weekend in San Bernardino County and has since evacuated communities 15 miles from Nocturnal Wonderland’s festival grounds.
Update September 11: Insomniac has officially canceled the upcoming edition of Nocturnal Wonderland due to the Line Fire and Bridge Fire that continue to rage in the area. Details can be found in our new article.
Previously: This past weekend, a heatwave hit Southern California, causing many cities to post notices urging people to stay inside, keep cool, and hydrate. This has impacted San Bernardino County even more, as a wildfire called the Line Fire broke out on Thursday evening and quickly began to spread. The Line Fire has since grown to 20,552 acres, with the Cal Fire reporting that the fire has only reached 3% containment as of Monday morning.
Multiple areas in San Bernardino County have since received evacuation orders and warnings, including Highland, Lake Arrowhead, Forest Falls, Running Springs, Angelus Oaks, Seven Oaks, and more. The wildfire rages roughly 15 miles from Glen Helen Regional Park, causing concern for many planning to attend Nocturnal Wonderland this weekend. Although the fire is currently trending east, concern grew earlier today after Valley of Enchantment, near North San Bernardino and Verdemont, received an evacuation warning.
Insomniac has released an official statement on the impact of the Line Fire on Nocturnal Wonderland this weekend, while also letting attendees know that they’ve been in regular contact with local authorities. “We have been closely monitoring the fire in San Bernardino and would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the courageous first responders working tirelessly to protect the community and contain the blaze,” they said. “There is no direct impact on the Glen Helen Amphitheater or its surrounding area.”
Line Fire’s spread has been impacted by a chance of thunderstorms throughout the day. “The latest challenge has been those thunderstorms, and we’re just keeping up with them,” said Cal Fire’s Brent Pascua to ABC7. “We’re making sure that we have our firefighters in all different directions, so if it switches directions like it did yesterday, we’re there to meet it.” These thunderstorms create downdrafts that can push the fire in unpredictable directions.
The Los Angeles Times has reported that the wildfire has threatened 36,000 structures as of Monday morning. While evacuation orders and warnings remain in place, zero structures have been damaged or destroyed, and no fatalities have been reported from the Line Fire as of publishing. Three firefighters have been injured over the weekend.
According to Cal Fire, 1,708 personnel, 15 helicopters, 195 fire engines, and 35 dozers are fighting the Line Fire. Additionally, numerous firefighting air tankers throughout the state are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in San Bernardino County for the fire, giving Cal Fire access to new federal grant money and waiving certain regulations for those impacted by the blaze.
Line Fire’s impact goes beyond the wildfire itself, as its smoke has caused air quality to degrade significantly in the region. As of publishing, Air Now has listed the current air quality in San Bernardino County to be “unhealthy.” They’ve urged everyone to reduce their exposure by choosing less strenuous activities and shortening their time outdoors.
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information surfaces.
