Advertisement

Bridge fire swept through Mountain High, but famed ski resort largely survived

A firefighter stands with tools in hand near flames in a wooded area
A firefighter uses hand tools to try and stop the Bridge fire from advancing toward homes in Wrightwood, Calif., on Tuesday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
Share via

As the Bridge fire swept through mountain communities Tuesday night, Mountain High’s webcam showed a dramatic scene: Flames cutting through ski lifts at the well-known ski resort.

The images boded ill for Mountain High, but as the night wore on, the resort’s fate remained a mystery.

With sunrise, it became clear that the resort largely survived the blaze.

“Fire raced through the area yesterday, but all the main lifts and buildings survived with little to no damage,” according to a post from Mountain High. “Thank you to all the employees and fire fighters for their hard work. Our hearts go out to the Wrightwood families that may be suffering. We are with you!”

Advertisement

Fast-moving wildfires have burned homes and scorched more than 100,000 acres in a matter of days, leaving firefighting resources dangerously thin.

Some homes were burned in nearby Wrightwood, but exact numbers were unavailable Wednesday morning.

Located about 75 miles northeast of L.A., Mountain High has three mountains for skiers and boarders, an ice rink for skaters and Yeti’s Snowplay, which includes tubing and sledding for young ones.

The Bridge fire broke out Sunday in Angeles National Forest, with the flames spreading rapidly Tuesday in the northeast area, forest officials reported.

Advertisement

Between Tuesday and early Wednesday, the blaze exploded from 4,000 acres to 47,904 acres, growing more than 10 times in size.

Advertisement