Crime & Safety

MOUNTAIN FIRE UPDATE: Weather Aids Fire Crews, Blaze Estimated 49 Percent Contained, Cost $18.4M

For Sunday July 21 updates on the Mountain Fire click here.

Update 8:50 p.m. 
According to the Forest Service, east winds overnight may bring an increased chance of rain to the 42-square-mile Mountain Fire burned area.

"A flash flood warning is in place as even relatively moderate amounts of rain can cause soil erosion in burned areas," John Miller of the Forest Service said in an evening update.

If there is rain at higher elevations, Hurkey Creek "could experience high flows, creating additional hazards for firefighters," Miller said.

Evacuations were lifted Saturday for the communities of Trails End and Camp Joe Scherman. Apple Canyon, Bonita Vista, Fobes Canyon, and Pine Springs Ranch areas are also open to residents.

An evacuation warning remained in place for Pine Cove, and mandatory evacuation orders remained in place for Idyllwild and Fern Valley, according to the Forest Service and Riverside County sheriff's officials.

Evacuation centers are located at Hemet High School, Hamilton High School, and Beaumont High School.

A total of 23 structures have been destroyed since the Mountain Fire broke out Monday July 15, including 7 homes.

The total estimated cost as of Saturday evening was $18.4 million. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Update 8:15 p.m. 
The Mountain Fire near Idyllwild was declared 49 percent contained Saturday evening and its burned area was still estimated more than 42 square miles, according to the Forest Service.

There were 3,347 personnel assigned to the fire as of Saturday evening.

An evacuation warning remained in place for Pine Cove, and mandatory evacuation orders remained in place for Idyllwild and Fern Valley, according to the Forest Service and Riverside County sheriff's officials.

Update 5:10 p.m. 
A thunderstorm warning was cancelled for the Mountain Fire area Saturday afternoon, and evacuations were lifted for Trails End, Morris Ranch and Camp Joe Sherman on the south edges of the burn.

"That's good for firefighters' safety," Forest Service fuels specialist Larry Peabody said in Pine Cove, where he'd been assigned to keep an on eye on possible thunderstorm activity. "It's been a good day for the crews so far."

An evacuation warning remained in place for Pine Cove, and mandatory evacuation orders remained in place for Idyllwild and Fern Valley, Riverside County sheriff's officials said in an update.

Update 4 p.m. 
Firefighters were using the Palm Springs Aerial Tram to get to active edges of the Mountain Fire, and at least one Skycrane pilot was using a water tank next to Highway 243 between Pine Cove and Idyllwild on Saturday afternoon.

"We do have hotshot crews coming on the tram, getting off here and working their way down," Sonya Capek, with incident command, said in Pine Cove before 4 p.m.

"The idea is to pinch off the growth," Capek said. "But of course firefighters won't be put in harm's way in front of any fire growth. We also have firefighters working their way up, and they're doing what's called coyote work, where they spend the night, and keep moving up and up and up. They're working very long hours."

Forest Service fuels specialist Larry Peabody was assigned to keep an eye on potential thunderstorm activity from a vantage point in Pine Cove overlooking Idyllwild.

"There's lightning activity forecast for today and into tonight with lightning strikes possible and heavy rain," Peabody said. "So I want to give the guys in there advance notice if we start getting heavy rain, because the potential for flash flooding in the fire area and outside it is a concern."

Update 1:39 p.m. 
The congressman for the San Jacinto  Mountains, the San Gorgonio Pass and the Coachella Valley planned to visit neighborhoods devastated by the 42-square-mile Mountain Fire on Saturday afternoon, according to his staff and the Forest Service.

"I'll be on the ground tomorrow meeting w/ officials at the Garner Valley Command Center and surveying the damage caused by the #MountainFire," Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert tweeted Friday July 19.

Ruiz planned to speak with reporters near the Pine Springs Ranch, where some structures were damaged and destroyed the day the fire broke out, Monday July 15, according to the Forest Service.

County and state officials have already made emergency declarations for the Mountain Fire burned area and communities affected by it, which will help free up disaster assistance funds for continuing efforts to extinguish the blaze and recovery efforts.

Posted 11:43 a.m.
 The Mountain Fire near Idyllwild had burned 27,278 acres and it was considered 25 percent contained as of Saturday morning, according to the Forest Service.

The cost of fighting the blaze rose to $12.2 million. There were 3,478 personnel assigned to the fire as of 6 a.m. July 20.

Evacuations remained in effect for Idyllwild and Fern Valley, and an evacuation warning was in place for Pine Cove.

Saturday's weather "may bring a change in the progression of the fire and how operation strategies will develop," John Miller of the Forest Service said in a morning update. "Moisture has arrived, bringing a strong likelihood of rain and the possibility of isolated thunderstorms by the afternoon.

The Mountain Fire has destroyed a total of 23 structures, including 7 residences during the first day of the fire, Monday July 15. Ignition of the fire near Highway 243 and SR 74 in Mountain Center was "human caused," according to the Forest Service.

Whether it was accidental or intentional remained under investigation.

For previous Patch coverage of the Mountain Fire click the following links:

MOUNTAIN FIRE UPDATE: Blaze Burns 42 Square Miles, 3,400+ Personnel, Evacuation Warning for Pine Cove

'UNUSUAL FIRE BEHAVIOR': Mountain Fire Incident Commander Discusses Fire Weather, Evac Orders

Palm Desert's Assemblyman Asks Governor to Declare State of Emergency

Mountain Fire Local Impact Map by ESRI of Redlands

MOUNTAIN FIRE: Some Residents Stay, but Most of Idyllwild is 'Ghost Town'

VIDEO: Idyllwild Fire Chief Discusses Evacuations, Mountain Fire Threat

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

Beaumont High School Transformed Into Emergency Shelter for Fire Evacuees

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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