Get told when something happens in Big Bear

An evacuation order, a wildfire near the valley, a highway closure, a power outage, a storm warning or very unhealthy air — an email when it happens, so you are not the last to know. It is free, and there is nothing else in it.

• Evacuation orders and warnings — when a zone in the mountain communities, Crestline to Big Bear, is put under an evacuation warning or order on the state and county evacuation maps, and again if a warning becomes an order.
• Wildfire near the valley — a new fire of 5 acres or more within 10 miles of the lake, or a large fire that is still spreading within 25 miles. Not every distant column of smoke, and not every acreage update.
• Highway closures — when Caltrans closes Highway 18, 38 or 330 on the mountain (or puts chains on every vehicle, R-3), and once more when it reopens. Not routine chain control or scheduled roadwork.
• Power outages — when Bear Valley Electric posts an outage or shutoff notice, including the planned shutoffs you can prepare for, and once more when it says power is back.
• Storm warnings — National Weather Service warnings for Big Bear: winter storm, blizzard, high wind, flash flood, red flag and the like. Not advisories or watches.
• Very unhealthy air — when the air quality index reaches 201 or more.

The emails go out automatically from those official sources, usually within about 15 minutes of the agency posting (power notices can take up to an hour). The agencies do not say which neighbourhood is affected, so everyone who chose a kind of alert gets it.

An official evacuation order always overrides this page and any email from it. A new fire can be burning before it reaches any public dataset. If you are told to leave, leave.

The alerts are for the next one. If something is happening this minute, these pages answer it directly and are updated continuously:

• Road conditions and closures — Highway 18, 38 and 330, plus whether chains are required.
• Fire activity near Big Bear — what the agencies are reporting now.
• Power outages — live outages and announced shutoffs.
• Big Bear weather — forecast and active warnings.
• Lake conditions — water temperature and lake level.