Checking the news for a fire in Big Bear CA today usually means one of two things: you're either seeing smoke from the San Bernardino peaks and panicking, or you're checking to see if your weekend ski trip is still a go. It’s January 15, 2026, and honestly, the situation on the ground is a lot more nuanced than just "is there a fire or not?"
If you're looking for an active, raging inferno inside the city limits right this second, take a breath. There isn't one. However, the Big Bear Fire Department has been kept incredibly busy this week with smaller, "nuisance" incidents and prescribed burns that are making the air look a lot sketchier than it actually is.
The Smoke You See Isn't Always an Emergency
Let's talk about why the "fire in Big Bear CA today" search is trending. Just yesterday, January 14, crews in the Tahoe National Forest and areas surrounding the San Bernardino National Forest started pushing through with fuels reduction projects. Specifically, the Nyack Fuels Reduction Project and similar broadcast burns have been active.
When the Forest Service does this, they are basically fighting fire with fire. They pick "no-burn days" (like today, January 15, which was declared a no-burn day due to poor air mixing) to pause, but the residual smoke from earlier in the week often hangs in the valley.
Smoke doesn't always equal a wildfire.
It’s often progress.
Recent 911 Activity and Real Threats
While we don't have a "Line Fire" or a "Gold Fire" situation today, the dispatch logs for Big Bear Fire have been popping off. On January 10, for example, the department hit a "committed" status—meaning every single ambulance was out on a call. Most of these were trauma-related injuries at Bear Mountain and Snow Summit, but there was also an "Unknown Type Fire" (FU) call on Curvate Drive in Big Bear City that gave neighbors a brief scare.
Last night, units also responded to a residential alarm on Pigeon Road. Thankfully, these haven't turned into the kind of vegetation fires that keep us up at night.
Why Big Bear Residents Are Still on Edge
We can't ignore the "ghosts" of the 2025 season. Last year was brutal for Southern California. Between the Palisades Fire and the Gold Fire (which torched over 1,000 acres north of the lake), the community is basically in a permanent state of high alert.
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The Gold Fire, specifically, was a nightmare for accessibility. It ignited near John Bull Flat and showed us exactly how vulnerable the Holcomb Valley area is. Even though that incident was fully contained by early 2026, the scars on the landscape are visible from the trails. When people see a plume of smoke now, they don't think "controlled burn"—they think "evacuation."
Current Fire Risks as of January 15:
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- Weather: We’ve had some whiplash weather lately. We saw some moisture in early January, which helped, but the "moderate" fire risk remains because of standing dead vegetation.
- Air Quality: Today is officially a No Burn Day. If you see a neighbor lighting a backyard pile, they're technically out of compliance. The air is stagnant, meaning smoke isn't clearing out of the valley like it should.
- Human Activity: This is the big one. Most fires in the Big Bear area aren't lightning; they're someone's trailer chain dragging on Highway 18 or a "cool" campfire that wasn't actually out.
What to Do if You See Smoke Today
If you’re standing on Big Bear Blvd and you see a plume, don’t just post it to a Facebook group and hope for the best.
- Check the Big Bear Fire Dispatch: They are incredibly transparent. If it's a known prescribed burn, they’ll usually have it listed.
- Monitor KBHR 93.3 FM: In the mountains, cell service is a lie. This radio station is the literal lifeline for the valley.
- Watch Duty App: Seriously, if you live here or visit often, this app is better than any news outlet. It uses real-time satellite data and radio scanners to map starts before the press releases even go out.
The Forecast for the Rest of the Week
We're looking at a dry stretch. The National Weather Service suggests moderate fire risk will continue through Monday. We aren't in a Red Flag Warning right now, but the low humidity and gusty afternoon winds mean that any small spark—like a car fire on the 38—could easily jump into the brush.
Keep your "Go Bag" ready. It sounds paranoid until the sheriff is knocking on your door at 2:00 AM.
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Next Steps for Safety:
Check your defensible space today. Since it's a "No Burn Day," you can't burn your slash piles, but you can clear the pine needles off your roof and out of your gutters. If a spot fire starts from a stray ember, those dry needles are basically gasoline. Also, make sure you're signed up for Telephone Emergency Notification System (TENS) alerts through San Bernardino County. It's the only way to get the official "leave now" call on your phone.