Pilot Fire Explained

Pilot Fire
Reference:[1]
Location:Silverwood Lake, San Bernardino County, California
Coordinates:34.288°N -117.251°W
Pushpin Map:USA California Southern
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Southern California
Area:8110acres
Buildings:0
Cause:Vehicle Fire

Pilot Fire should not be confused with pilot flame.

The Pilot Fire was a wildfire that burned near Silverwood Lake in San Bernardino County, California. The fire started at about 12:10 pm on Sunday, August 7, 2016, near the Miller Canyon OHV area off California State Route 138.

The name "Pilot" refers to where the fire was first reported: the Pilot Rock Conservation Camp, a minimum-security prison camp/fire camp consisting of inmates trained for firefighting.[2] [3] [4]

The fire was under the management of the United States Forest Service in Unified Command with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), the San Bernardino County Fire Department, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The estimated full containment date was by 6:00 AM (PST) on August 16, 2016 and burned a total of 8,110 acres.

On March 1, 2017 six months after the fire, fire investigators with the San Bernardino National Forest determined the cause was by a vehicle on fire.[5]

Notes and References

  1. News: Pilot Fire Incident Information. 27 August 2016. Inciweb. 14 August 2016.
  2. News: Pilot fire forces thousands to evacuate. The Whittier Daily News. 8 August 2016. Because it began near the Pilot Rock Conservation Camp, it was named the Pilot fire..
  3. News: . Pilot fire burns 1,500 acres . . 7 August 2016 . August 17, 2016 . The fire also was near the state’s Pilot Rock Conservation Camp. Cal Fire agency jointly operates the camp with the state Department of Corrections and provide inmate crews for fire fighting..
  4. Web site: Pilot Rock Conservation Camp (#15) official page. Calif. Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
  5. Web site: Quintero. Jose. 2017-03-01. Six months later, officials confirm vehicle fire started Pilot Fire. 2020-08-07. vvdailypress.com. en.