Van Dyke fire damages SCE substation
Shortly after fire was reported in Round Valley on Feb. 6, strong winds started a fire just south of Bridgeport. According to an Inyo National Forest press release, the Van Dyke Fire began around 3 p.m., west of Route 395 and north of Point Ranch. It quickly crossed Route 395 and took off in the dry grass and sage, shutting down Route 395 to thru traffic.
The fire grew to 300 acres that day, damaging a Southern California Edison power sub-station. A Mono County IT report presented to the Mono Board of Supervisors on Feb. 10 noted that lights in Bridgeport began to flicker as early as 10 a.m. on Feb. 6, and that power went out entirely by 12 p.m.
Initial fire response came from the Humboldt-Tioyabe National Forest, with additional response from Lee Vining, Mammoth Lakes, and June Lake Fire Departments, as well as Bureau of Land Management and Inyo National Forest Bishop Field Office.
As the fire progressed, Bridgeport and Antelope Valley Fire Departments, Mono County, California Highway Patrol, and Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center joined the effort.
Residents of Evans Track south of the Bridgeport Ranger Station were evacuated. The Bridgeport Memorial Hall served as a temporary shelter.
“The Fire Departments did an amazing job of diverting the fire back behind the Evans track, keeping it away,” said Mono County Sheriff Ingrid Braun at a presentation to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Feb. 10. “If you drive through, you can see that it came within inches of a couple of homes. Fortunately, no homes were lost in Bridgeport … but it came very close.”
By the morning of Saturday, Feb. 7, the Van Dyke fire was 30 percent contained. The sustained, gusting winds of the prior day gave way to light rainfall, and evacuations were lifted.
Route 395 was re-opened, but power and cell phone service remained down.
County IT staff spent the better part of the day replacing equipment and trying to get stable power. Power was restored at approximately 4 p.m., and IT brought the rest of the County network up by 6:30 p.m. that day.
The fire ultimately approximately 450 acres.
According to an update to the Mono County Board of Supervisors, as of Tuesday, Feb. 10, Bridgeport is in full recovery, with everything except Verizon-based cell service restored. Antelope Valley also has power but lacks Verizon cell service.
The Agriculture Department reported that there was no livestock loss, but that the fire burned one mile of fencing at Point Ranch.
The cause of the Van Dyke Fire is still under investigation.
