Community Corner

MOUNTAIN FIRE UPDATE: Blaze Now 19,400 Acres, 4,100 Homes Threatened, Evac Orders for Idyllwild, Fern Valley

Reported by Patch editors Guy McCarthy and Renee Schiavone.

Update 3:15 a.m. Overnight operations early Thursday on the Mountain Fire were to include improvement of existing containment lines and preparations for firing operations, "should favorable circumstances allow for a safe and successful operation," according to the Forest Service.

Firing operations involve setting fires to deny fuel to the active fire front.

"Night operations are supported by a night flying helicopter and an Air Attack," incident commanders said. "The Air Attack is a specially trained and experienced firefighter in a small fixed wing aircraft" who helps coordinate air operations with firefighters on the ground.

The most recent size estimate of the active fire and its burned area was 19,400 acres. It was considered 15 percent contained.

There were 2,985 personnel assigned including 51 crews, and resources included 228 engines, 15 dozers, 17 helicopters and 10 tanker planes, as of sundown Wednesday.

23 structures have been destroyed by the fire, including 7 homes during the first day of the fire, Monday July 15. Total cost of fighting the Mountain Fire as of Wednesday evening was estimated at $4.5 million.

Update 1:10 a.m. 
Beaumont High School Transformed Into Emergency Shelter for Fire Evacuees

Update 10:14 p.m. 
Evacuees from Idyllwild, Fern Valley and other communities affected by the Mountain Fire can bring their pets to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus at 581 S. Grand Ave. in San Jacinto, a spokesman for Riverside County Animal Services said Wednesday evening.

"So far we have eight cats, two dogs, and two horses," John Welsh of Animal Services said in a phone interview from Hemet High School.

A few minutes later Welsh reported Animal Services had collected a rabbit named Snuggles, a frog named Cherry Soda Pop, and a dog named Moony, all from evacuees at Hemet High.

"Two hours ago the parking lot was empty and now it looks jam packed," Welsh said. "There are cars and buses, it looks like for kids evacuated from one of the camps up there. There are lots of people in the bleachers too. Earlier they had 20 cots set up and now it looks like about a hundred."

Welsh urged pet owners who have had to evacuate due to the Mountain Fire to call (951) 791-3720, a number which will be answered 24-7, he emphasized.

"All pets will receive animal ID numbers and pet owners will receive those numbers for their records," Animal Services officials said in a statement. "The pets will be provided food and water and proper care. There is no fee to use the shelter during the fire-evacuation period."

Animal Services personnel have been busy trying to help owners of small pets and large animals in the Mountain Fire burned area, Welsh said. He released a photo Wednesday of a singed kitten that was injured in the Mountain Fire, and cared for by Animal Services veterinarians. The photo is attached to this report.

Update 8:44 p.m. 
Evacuees from Idyllwild were arriving Wednesday evening at Beaumont High School's gymnasium.

The Mountain Fire swelled to more than 19,000 acres on July 17, prompting more evacuations as incident commanders stated 4,100 homes and 100 commercial properties were considered threatened.

Update 8:23 p.m. As the fast-moving Mountain Fire prompted authorities to issue evacuation orders Wednesday evening for residents of Idyllwild and Fern Valley, the Trails End community at the top of Morris Ranch Road, southeast of Lake Hemet and off SR 74, was also placed under an "immediate evacuation notice," according to the Forest Service.

"Rapid movement of the Mountain Fire today toward Trails End in the south and Tahquitz Peak in the north prompted the Mountain Area Safety Taskforce to order an evacuation of Trails End, Idyllwild, and Fern Valley communities," Forest Service officials said in a Wednesday evening update. "4,100 residences and 100 commercial properties are currently threatened by the fire." 

Mountain Fire incident commanders also issued the following statement Wednesday evening:

The fire has transitioned from a wind driven fire to a fuel and topography driven fire. This condition has caused a shift in the direction of spread necessitating the evacuation as the fire moved to the west this afternoon and presents a threat to nearby communities. With vegetation moistures at record lows fire spread has been extreme and dangerous.

This is the best choice in a difficult situation. The highest priority is to protect the lives of citizens in the immediate area of the blaze. . . . 

Residents who are out of the area and need to return to evacuate family and retrieve valuables will be allowed through road closures with proper identification.

As of 8 p.m., the estimated size of the burned area and active fire was at 19,400 acres. Personnel assigned to the fire has increased to 2,985, according to the Forest Service.

Update 7:20 p.m. 
Evacuation orders have been issued for Idyllwild and Fern Valley east of Highway 243 due to rapid growth of the Mountain Fire, and an evacuation center has been set up at Beaumont High School.

"Beaumont High has been declared an evacuation center by the Red Cross," Beaumont Unified School District trustee David A. Sanchez tells Banning-Beaumont Patch in an email. "Beaumont Unified is currently prepping the Gym for the displaced residences of Idyllwild as I write this."

According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and the Idyllwild Fire Protection District, the following areas are being evacuated:

The communities of Idyllwild and Fern Valley east of Highway 243, U.S. Forest Service campgrounds, the U. S. Forest Service wilderness, and Mt. San Jacinto State Park.

The evacuation orders do not include Pine Cove, Mountain Center, Idyllwild West or Poppet Flats.

Evacuation routes recommended by the Sheriff's Department:

- Highway 74 into Hemet 

- Highway 243 into Banning 

- Highway 74 South toward Anza, Palm Desert 

Hard road closures were announced shortly after 6 p.m. July 17:

- Highway 74 will be closed In Hemet, no up bound traffic will be allowed.

- Highway 243 will be closed in Banning, no southbound traffic will be allowed.

- Highway 243 will be closed at Mountain Center.

- Highway 74 will be closed at Highway 371. 

Evacuation Centers listed by the Sheriff's Department:

- Hamilton High School, Anza

- Hemet High School, Hemet

- Beaumont High School

Update 6 p.m. 
A more detailed map of the Mountain Fire perimeter shows the reach of the eastward edges of the active blaze as of Wednesday morning.

The map, prepared and released by the U.S. Forest Service shows where the fire started Monday afternoon near Highway 243 and SR 74 in Mountain Center.

It also shows what appears to be the Pacific Crest Trail further east bisecting the burned area, indicating the east edges of the Mountain Fire are burning downslope from the highest ridge in the area.

The map is time-stamped 6 a.m. July 17 and it is attached to this report.

Update 12:55 p.m. 
The Mountain Fire southeast of Idyllwild continued burning north-northeast Wednesday afternoon, a Forest Service spokesman at Lake Hemet tells Patch, and a smoke and ash advisory was issued with specific mention of the Coachella Valley.

"The smoke plume aloft is currently moving to the north and east," South Coast Air Quality Management District officials said in a statement. "In addition, ash from the fire is falling in portions of the Coachella Valley. Smoke and ash may affect areas of the San Jacinto Mountains surrounding the fire and the Coachella Valley."

Chris Gaulding of the Forest Service spoke with Patch from the store at Lake Hemet.

"The fire spread is still north-northeast, and the smoke plume is leaning that way," Gaulding said. "It's visible for miles of course. They can see it in the Coachella Valley."

More than 2,200 personnel were assigned to the fire, from communities including Oak Glen, Big Bear, Murrieta, Santa Barbara, Arroyo Grande, and Poppet Flats.

A contingent of 26 aircraft were supporting crews on the ground, with 16 helicopters, and 10 tanker planes, including the white-and-orange DC-10 converted for firefighting, Gaulding said.

The DC-10 and some other tankers were using the USFS Tanker Base in San Bernardino for refueling and taking on fresh retardant, Gaulding said. Other pilots were using Hemet Ryan.

Highway 243 has been reopened in all directions, and all major highways are open, according to the Forest Service.

"Motorists and residents in the mountain communities should expect to see a large amount of fire related traffic on Highway 243 and 74, especially in the Garner Valley area," USFS officials said.

Mandatory evacuation orders remained in effect for Andreas Canyon Club, south of Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, and for Bonita Vista, Pine Springs, and the Zen Mountain Center off Apple Canyon Road.

Camp Ronald McDonald and Camp Joe Sherman were voluntarily evacuated "due to health concerns related to air quality," Forest Service officials said.

In areas of the Coachella Valley impacted by smoke and ash, air quality was considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups," including people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, and children, South Coast Air Quality Management District officials said.

Also under smoke advisories were residents and visitors in the San Gorgonio Pass, the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley and the Anza area.

The active Mountain Fire and its burned area remained estimated at 14,200 acres and it was considered 10 percent contained as of Wednesday afternoon, Gaulding said.

On Tuesday, damage assessment teams determined the Mountain Fire has so far destroyed 21 structures, including homes, mobile homes and outbuildings.

Total cost of fighting the Mountain Fire as of Wednesday morning was estimated at $4 million, according to John Miller of the San Bernardino National Forest.

Posted 8 a.m. 
The United States Forest Service reports Wednesday morning that the fire near Mountain Center and Idyllwild has burned an estimated 14,200 acres.

According to the latest incident report, the Mountain Fire is still estimated at 10 percent contained.

"It is currently burning east of the Mountain Center and Apple Canyon Areas," the USFS report states.  "It is burning in very steep and rugged terrain in the southern portion of the San Jacinto Wilderness along the Desert Divide and in the Apple Canyon and Bonita Vista Areas.

The fire was first reported two days ago, on July 15, near the junction of Highways 243 and 74.

Highway 243 - which had been closed because of its proximity to the fire-- has been reopened.  Mandatory evacuations remain in place for Camp Ronald McDonald and the Palm Springs-area housing community of Andreas Canyon Club.

As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, the following resources were assigned to the firefighting efforts:

  • 2,241 firefighters
  • 98 engines
  • 15 helicopters
  • 10 fixed wing aircraft, including a DC-10
  • 73 hand-crews
  • 6 water-tenders
  • 10 bulldozers
It wasn't immediately clear if any additional structures burned overnight, but the following has been damaged or destroyed by the blaze so far:

  • Bonita Vista - 3 mobile homes and 3 residences were destroyed, 1 residence sustained damage.
  • Pine Springs - 1 commercial building, a workshop, garage, and cabin were destroyed.
  • Zen Mountain Center - No damages.
  • Various Surrounding Areas-  11 outbuildings and 4-6 vehicles destroyed.

"It is important to note that while homes and buildings were destroyed or damaged, firefighters were able to defend and save a larger number of homes," the Forest Service reported.

To read previous Patch coverage of the Mountain Fire click the following links:

MOUNTAIN FIRE PHOTOS: Property Damage, Watershed Damage, Firefighters, Pilots

MOUNTAIN FIRE: Now 9,000 Acres Burned, 2,200+ Personnel, 21 Structures Destroyed

MOUNTAIN FIRE UPDATE: Blaze Now Est. 2,400 Acres, Structure Damage Reported, Mandatory Evacs at Bonita Vista, Fleming Ranch, Animal Sanctuary


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