Firefighters head east

A dozen Newport-Mesa firefighters are in San Bernardino County battling flames that have scorched more than 1,000 acres since Sunday.

More than 500 firefighters from across California have been called to the Oak Glen Fire in San Bernardino County to help knock down one of the latest blazes to hit the state this week. Firefighters are already dealing with flames in virtually all corners of the state, from the state’s northern most counties to as far south as Riverside County.

Monday morning, firefighters in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa got the call. It was time to help out in Oak Glen. About 2:30 a.m., Orange County’s Metro Net dispatch center relayed an aid request asking for at least two strike teams — each making up four fire engines and about 20 men — to help protect homes and buildings in Oak Glen.

Costa Mesa firefighters arrived in Oak Glen about 3:30 a.m. Monday as a part of one of those strike teams, said Battalion Chief Bill Kershaw. They immediately got to work protecting homes and were stationed on Oak Glen Road, which has been closed to the public in some parts. Costa Mesa has one engine and four men at the blaze.

Newport Beach has so far sent two trucks with eight men to the same incident and are scheduled to come back some time today at the earliest.

The fire in San Bernardino County south of Oak Glen and Potato Canyon began Sunday afternoon and had burned more than 1,000 acres as of Monday afternoon. Firefighters had 0% containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Thousands of homes are in danger of going up in flames and several communities are under mandatory and voluntary evacuations. Investigators have still not determined the cause of the fire.

In other fire incidents, the Station Fire in Angeles National Forest has burned an estimated 105,000 acres and killed two firefighters Sunday night. Newport-Mesa firefighters have not been called to help put out this fire.