Firefighter Dads Battling Lake Fire Find 'Thank You' Messages on Father's Day

Hundreds of firefighter dads battling the Lake Fire in the San Bernardino mountains may have been away from their families this weekend, but they were not forgotten on Father’s Day. Handmade signs thanking ‘Daddy, Firefighters, Hotshots’ were posted on trees alongside one of the roads in the San Bernardino mountains on Sunday. Some Southern California fire departments used social media to send Father’s Day wishes to their fire crews working the large wildfire.

Smoke from the Lake Fire made its way to the Morongo Valley and Pioneertown over the weekend, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Those desert areas are not under evacuation, but the Southern California Air Quality Management District issued the smoke advisory for those towns on Sunday night.

Over the weekend, fire officials said the overall growth of the fire has slowed. The fire has scorched more than 17,350 acres since it started at about 4 p.m. on June 17 and is currently about 21 percent contained. About 1,900 firefighters from all over the state have been battling the blaze in triple-digit temperatures. Highs are expected to be in the 90s today.

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• Evacuations Ordered As Massive Wildfire Spreads Through San Bernardino Mountains
• Lake Fire Rages in San Bernardino Mountains for Third Day

Click here for the most recent fire perimeter map. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The following roads and trails remain closed due to the smoke and fire:

• Highway 38 from Angelus Oaks to Lake Williams.
• Jenks Lake Road
• Maple Lane in Big Bear Lake (for fire equipment movement)
• All hiking trails into the San Gorgonio Wilderness
• Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) from Whitewater Preserve to Onyx Summit.

All areas east of Angelus Oaks remain evacuated including: Barton Flats, Seven Oaks, Rainbow Lane, Heart Bar, and all cabins and campgrounds in the South Fork area.

Photos courtesy of the San Bernardino County Fire Department via Twitter