Bridge Fire explodes in size; man arrested in connection with Line Fire

The Bridge Fire in California grew 10 times in size over 24 hours to become the state’s largest wildfire, destroying at least 33 homes by Wednesday night, as firefighters grappled with three major blazes.

One of the fires, the Line Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest, has resulted in the arrest of a man accused of “intentionally igniting” it, the sheriff’s office said.

The Bridge Fire, which sparked Sunday in Angeles National Forest, exhibited “extreme fire behavior,” jumping from 4,000 acres early Tuesday to 46,000 acres by evening, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). The blaze expanded from Los Angeles County into San Bernardino County.

It was the largest active wildfire in the state Wednesday, spanning nearly 50,300 acres, and it was 0% contained.

Chuck Lyons was at his restaurant when the Bridge Fire prompted warnings to leave. His wife went home for 10 minutes to collect a few belongings and then left.

“I had a neighbor who lives across the street call me and said: ‘Your home is fully engulfed. It’s burning,’” Lyons said Wednesday near the wreckage of his house. “And I said, ‘No.’”

Only a chimney stood amid the wreckage of the Wrightwood home where he and his wife have lived for around 15 years.

Lyons said he first saw the home being built while he was working in construction in high school. He particularly liked the architecture and joked that maybe someday he would buy it. Years later, he and his wife did just that.

“You know, it’s just so hard to wrap your head around something like this. I really haven’t accepted it yet,” he said, adding: “It’s just total devastation. Our home is gone.”

Lyons’ home is one of around 33 officials believe the Bridge Fire has destroyed.

About 20 homes have been destroyed in the Mount Baldy area, along with 13 homes in the Wrightwood area and six cabins in the wilderness, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday.

There have been no reports of deaths or significant injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Video by the San Bernardino County Fire Department showed firefighters and deputies performing rescue evacuations in Wrightwood on Tuesday evening as flames consumed brush and trees.

The Bridge Fire is one of three major fires in Southern California — along with the Line Fire and the Airport Fire — which sparked amid an intense heat wave that brought triple-digit temperatures and dry conditions…