California Ski Resort Engulfed by 40,000+ Acre Wildfire

Originally posted on Powder | By Matt Lorelli | Last updated Sep 11, 2024 8:53 AM ET

The Bridge Fire began on Sunday, September 8th, 2024 in Los Angeles County, California, and exploded in size yesterday, September 10, 2024.

Mountain High Ski Resort, located near Wrightwood, California, was affected by the massive blaze in the evening hours of September 10th, as captured by the resort's various webcams. Watch below as flames engulf one of the resort's chairlifts.

VIDEO: Mountain High, Bridge Fire, 9/10/24

Mountain High Wildfire, September 10, 2024 (1:07)

Mountain High has yet to release a statement, but many are fearing that the resort's buildings, chairlifts, trail infrastructure, and other facilities could be a total loss.

The Angeles National Forest released an incident statement late on September 10th explaining that the Bridge Fire, "exhibited extreme fire behavior" due to strong north and northeasterly winds. The fire is currently 40,000 acres and growing. Full statement below:

Today, the Bridge Fire exhibited extreme fire behavior and spread north and northeast, towards the communities of Wrightwood and Pinon Hills. New evacuation orders were issued by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department starting at approximately 4:57 p.m. for these communities. CAL FIRE – San Bernardino/Inyo/Mono Unit entered into Unified Command this afternoon.

Structural protection and defense groups have been placed in the communities of Wrightwood and Mount Baldy, with more of these resources on order. Top priorities for suppression efforts remain on the north and east sides of the fire to protect communities and critical communication and power infrastructure. At this time, we cannot confirm damage to structures. Once it is safe for damage assessment teams to evaluate, information will be released.

To stay up-to-date with current wildfire information, follow the Angeles National Forest InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident.../caanf-bridge-fire

ALERT California, a public safety program leveraged by the University of California San Diego, captured the following images of the wildfire reaching Mountain High yesterday evening.

We will continue to update this article as more information is released about the damage at Mountain High and the surrounding area. In the meantime, we ask that you keep the hard-working wildfire fighters in your thoughts as they continue to battle this devastating blaze.

Be the first to read breaking ski news with POWDER. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing. From ski resort news to profiles of the world’s best skiers, we are committed to keeping you informed.

Submit your best clips for a chance to be featured on POWDER. Tune in and watch handpicked, high-quality ski videos streaming all day long on POWDER TV, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.