HEMET, Calif. (KABC) — A deadly brush fire in the Hemet area exploded in size to 7,091 acres on Wednesday as crews continued their efforts to stop it from spreading in all directions amid a brutal heat wave.
The Fairview Fire broke out Monday afternoon in the area of Fairview Avenue and Bautista Road and destroyed at least seven structures – several of them apparently homes – and damaged several others, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
With intense heat in the forecast for at least a few more days, fire officials had expected it to burn as much as it has. The fire is 5% contained.
“This fire was moving in an opposite direction that it would normally do on a typical day this time of year,” said Josh Ansen, Cal Fire’s incident commander for the fire. “So instead of a… southwest wind it was coming out of the east and pushed that fire to the west down Avery Canyon.”
WATCH: Evacuated residents keeping close eye on Fairview Fire in Hemet
The two victims of the fire have not been identified, but Riverside County fire officials believe they were trying to escape the flames in that canyon. Their bodies were found in a burned car, and authorities believe they were related.
“That area is a one way in, one way out. So if you don’t leave in time, or if you get trapped by fire, there’s no other way to go,” said Cal Fire’s Richard Cordova.
A third person who was hospitalized with burn injuries is expected to survive.
Evacuations were ordered for thousands of homes in the area. The initial evacuation applied to the area south of Thornton Avenue, north of Polly Butte Road, west of Fairview Avenue and east of State Street.
The evacuation area was later expanded to include the area south of Stetson, north of Cactus Valley Road, west of Fairview and east of State Street.
Additional evacuation warnings were issued overnight for Bautista Canyon Road, south of Stetson and north of the Two Streams Fork trailhead.
By Tuesday afternoon, the mandatory evacuation area was expanded once again, to: Thomas Mountain Ridge South to Cactus Valley to Bautista Canyon to the forest boundary.
Additional evacuation warnings were also issued for the area south of Highway 74 to Thomas Mountain, west of Mountain Center and north of Cactus Valley, and Anza north of Highway 371 to the forestry boundary.
By 6 p.m. Tuesday, new evacuation warnings were issued for the areas south of Cactus Valley Road, east of Sage Road, north of Red Mountain Road and west of Bautista Canyon in Sage.
Evacuees could remain out of their homes for up to five days, if not more, fire officials said.
Officials also issued a boil water notice for residents in the fire-affected areas in east Hemet. Those residents are being advised to only use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precautions.
A care center for evacuees was established at Tahquitz High School, 4425 Titan Trail in Hemet.
The Hemet Unified School District said schools would remain closed until further notice because of the fire.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Copyright © 2022 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.
0 Comments