New Fire Perimeter map available through InciWeb as of 8/17/2016 at 10:30 pm
I-15 will open to Northbound traffic soon as well – Per Caltrans District 8.
All Railroad traffic is still shut down through the pass. I haven’t heard of what BNSF trackage has been damaged but the Union Pacific line has been damaged at Alray. There is no ETA thus far for reopening. This also delays and/or cancels some Amtrak service as well, such as the Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago.
Fire Perimeter Map from InciWeb as of 8/17/2016 at 8:22 am
With all the wildfires propping up lately, it is important to stay on top of the news. Your local newspaper and tv stations should be able to give updated information, but you can also get it directly from the agencies involved. I highly recommend the sites listed below as they can give more detailed information about what is going on and are usually updated regularly.
Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination (Fire incident mapping)Â
http://www.geomac.gov/
Incident Information System (Mapping and Detailed Incident Reports)
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Caltrans Road Conditions
http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi
California Highway Patrol  Traffic Incident Information (Gives very detailed reports on how these fires affect roadways)
http://cad.chp.ca.gov/
If you have any websites that you would like to share – Please send us feedback or use the comments for this post.
Blue Cut Fire
Fire Perimeter Map from InciWeb as of 8/17/2016 at 8:22 am
In regards to the current fires in the Cajon Pass, I plan to assess the damage to the highways myself once the area is clear. From what I understand so far, it looks like most of the wooden railing along US 66 / 91 / 395 in the pass may be gone, in addition to the historic Summit Inn restaurant at Cajon Summit. Other structures, not associated with the roadway, have also burned. According to CHP, a railroad bridge in the pass has burned, the Alray UP where former US 66 / 91 / 395 passed below. Please stay clear of the Cajon Pass for the duration of this fire.
DETOURS:
If you need to head north toward I-15 and I-40 near Barstow, I recommend taking I-10 East to State 62 East to State 247 North to Barstow. From there, you will connect with I-15 and I-40 just west of their junction. State 247 is a two lane roadway and may be busier than usual, so use caution.
All other traffic should use State 14 through Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley to connect with points to the north/west of I-15.
All these were taken on July 1, 2016.
Time for a website update!
The first “major” update is an extension of my US 99 tour. I’ve decided to take it north of the Kern River. How far north I have not yet decided, but so far at least as far as Delano to the Tulare County Line. I may push it to Goshen, but we shall see. More photos are necessary as well as more research. Maybe Fresno is in the future, but it will be quite some time away. Right now, I’ve extended the tour two stops north to the Oildale OH, the northern end of the 1933 Bakersfield Bypass.