A raging wildfire that ignited on the morning of Tuesday Aug. 16 has continued to spread through the Cajon Pass area of San Bernardino County, west of Interstate 15. Over 34,000 homes and other structures are under threat from this fire and well over 80,000 residents have been evacuated. Numerous road closures are in effect in surrounding communities, while several schools and even hospitals have been closed.

According to the most recent update on the so-called "Bluecut Fire" from InciWeb, posted at 1:45 p.m., EST on Thursday Aug. 18, the blaze has grown to 31,689 acres and is only four percent contained. It continues to be fueled by heavy brush and poses an "imminent threat" to public safety, rail traffic, homes, and other structures in the Cajon Pass, Lytle Creek, Wrightwood, Oak Hills, and surrounding areas.

As of Thursday morning, numerous road closures remain in effect, though a few road openings have been announced as well.

The following roads, highways, and interstates in and around the areas affected by the Bluecut fire are currently closed off to motorists: Southbound 395 is closed at Joshua; Highway 138 is shut down from Interstate 15 to Highway 2; State Route 2 is closed from the Los Angeles County Line to Highway 173; Old Cajon Boulevard north of Devore Cutoff is cut off; Lytle Creek at Glen Helen is closed; Beekley Road from Phelan Road to the 138 is shut down; Highway 38 to Lone Pine Canyon has been closed; and Southbound Interstate 15 remains closed until further notice.

Oversize and over-length vehicles, including buses, RVs, and semis are advised not to use State Route 18 or State Route 138 or other mountain roads due to the level of traffic utilizing these roads with the San Bernardino mountains.

The following road openings are effective as of Aug. 17 at 10:15 p.m.: The 215/15 Northbound connector will re-open and shortly thereafter, the I-15 Northbound will be fully open through to Cajon Pass. However, the #4 lane remains closed between Cleghorn Road to State Route 138, and all ramps remain closed at Glenwood Avenue; Cleghorn Road; State Route 138; and Oak Hill Road.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for: the entire community of Wrightwood; Wrightwood from the San Bernardino County Line to Jackson Lake; West of Interstate 15 and west of Highway 395 and west of Summit Valley; south of Bear Valley Road and east of Caughlin Road; east of Sheep Creek, south of Phelan Road, and west of Green Road, including the Desert Front Road area; Lone Pine Canyon; Swarthout Canyon; West Cajon Valley; and Lytle Creek Canyon.

Evacuation centers have been set up for residents affected by the current evacuation orders. The first of two is at the Jessie Turner Community Center, located at 15556 Summit Avenue in Fontana. The second evacuation center location is at Sultana High School at 17311 Sultana Street in Hesperia.

Numerous schools were closed Thursday, including the following: Adelanto Elementary School District; Apple Valley School District; Barstow Unified School District; Helendale School District; Kimbark Elementary School; Oro Grande School District; Silver Valley School District; Victor Elementary School District; and Victor Valley High School District. Both Hesperia Unified School District and Snowline Unified School District will remain closed for the rest of the week, according to officials.

A hospital closure was also announced on Wednesday. The Kaiser Permanente Clinic in Victorville, located at 14011 Park Avenue will likely remain closed on Thursday as well. Local residents are urged to call the medical facility at (888) 750-0036 for further information. In case of a medical emergency, please call 9-1-1.

In terms of planning and executing a successful firefight against the Bluecut blaze, a National Type 1 Incident Management Team has been requested. Currently the United States Fire Service (USFS) is in Unified Command with Cal Fire for overseeing firefighting measures. They are workign in collaboration with San Bernardino County Fire, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, and the California Highway Patrol. Authorities are reporting that the cause of the wildfire is yet unknown but is currently under official investigation.

There are now 1,584 firefighting personnel on scene to battle this blaze. The resources currently at their disposal in the containment effort are: 178 fire engines; 26 crews; 10 air tankers; two Very Large Air Tankers (VLATS); and 17 helicopters (including night flying copters).

According to the planned actions outlook compiled by fire authorities, the wildfire will continue to move to the north, northwest, and northeast towards Wrightwood, Victor Valley, Phelan, Baldy Mesa, and South Hesperia. As the fire crosses the ridge to the west, it will backtrack toward the community of Lytle Creek.

Please stay posted to LatinPost.com for further updates on the Bluecut fire, as we will be posting new articles as soon as additional information becomes available.