Flames burns in a yard as a brush fire sweeps through Hemet, forcing evacuations and causing injuries on Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. (Photo by OCHawk)
Two people are dead and one injured as a fast-growing wildfire Monday, Sept. 5 swept through the foothills east of Hemet.
Moving west toward Diamond Valley Lake, the Fairview fire was measured at 700 acres and 5% contained as of 7:45 p.m. By 9:56 p.m. it had been mapped at 2,000 acres with no change in containment. Seven structures have been destroyed with several more damaged, Cal Fire/Riverside County tweeted.
#FairviewFire [UPDATE] 7:45 pm – The fire is currently 700 acres and 5% contained. There have been 2 confirmed civilian fatalities and 1 civilian injury. 7 structures have been destroyed and several more damaged. pic.twitter.com/0zCfAevz5B
— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) September 6, 2022
An evacuation order is in effect for residents south of Stetson Avenue, north of Cactus Valley Road, west of Fairview Avenue and east of State Street. Late Monday an evacuation warning was issued for a stretch of Bautista Canyon Road.
#FairviewFIRE Evacuation WARNING – An evacuation warning has been issued for Bautista Canyon Road, south of Stetson, North of the Two Streams Fork trailhead. pic.twitter.com/Y6s6LS09tR
— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) September 6, 2022
Hemet Unified schools will be closed Tuesday because of the fire; and the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a smoke advisory saying people should limit their exposure to smoke and ash.
SMOKE ADVISORY: #FairviewFire burning south of #Hemet is affecting our air quality: https://t.co/Y158OoPtBX
Información en español: https://t.co/ctPFfWWfN8
South Coast AQMD emite un aviso de humo por el incendio forestral cerca de Hemet pic.twitter.com/tn2eeACZyv— South Coast AQMD (@SouthCoastAQMD) September 6, 2022
Sheriff’s deputies went door to door, telling residents in the evacuation zone to leave, Cal Fire Capt. Richard Cordova said during a briefing that was livestreamed on social media. He added that 1,500 homes are affected.
An evacuation center has been set up at Tahquitz High School at 4425 Titan Trail in Hemet.
The fire, which was first reported around 2 p.m. at Fairview Avenue and Bautista Road, started at 20 acres before initially growing to 600 acres amid high winds and sweltering temperatures of more than 100 degrees.
“There was a very large column of smoke and a very well-established vegetation fire going before (firefighters) even got on scene,” Cordova said, adding that “strong east winds” helped the fire grow.
No further information was provided regarding the deaths, but one civilian suffered burns from the fire, Cordova said, adding that no firefighters had been injured.
In the East Hemet area the following streets are closed at Stetson St to southbound traffic due to the Fairview Fire: Stanford St; Dartmouth St; Cornell St; Aurora Dr; Columbia St; Yale St; Girard St; San Jacinto St; Santa Fe St; Meridian St; Hemet St; Lake St; and Fairview Ave
— RivCoTrans (@RivCoTrans) September 6, 2022
Thirty-three engine companies, seven fire crews, six air tankers and four helicopters were assigned to the Fairview fire as of 7 p.m.
Footage shot by ABC7 and KTLA appears to show homes burning.
#FairviewFire – Footage from AIR7 HD shows several homes on fire as evacuations have been ordered. Temperatures are hovering around 104 degres in the area. https://t.co/z9TDckfHxP https://t.co/pjLVhrzdQD
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) September 6, 2022
#BREAKING: Sky5 footage shows several structures have been destroyed in the #FairviewFire. Live Coverage: https://t.co/FkeFwYa7qc pic.twitter.com/snMGxcbJhf
— KTLA (@KTLA) September 6, 2022
Smoke from the fire was visible throughout Riverside County and as far away as Orange County.
@CALFIRERRU photos of the #FairviewFire from my front porch in Menifee pic.twitter.com/eOK2lajg7o
— Carmen Dickinson
(@itscarmencita) September 6, 2022
Just to give you an idea of how big the #FairviewFire is, this is the plume you are seeing from about 20 miles away on the #215fwy near #Perris. The fire continues to grow just south of #Hemet. @knxnews @Caltrans8 pic.twitter.com/xolD4NR9OC
— Brian Douglas (@BrianDouglasKNX) September 6, 2022
Non-zoomed shot from neighborhood near Bautista Creek Elementary #FairviewFire pic.twitter.com/8S4K9aq8wK
— Brendan Spreder (@SD_Steelehead) September 6, 2022
#fairviewFIRE View from The Lakes at Hemet West pic.twitter.com/DyRk7ixrCW
— Becki Grass (@BeckiGrass) September 6, 2022
#fairviewfire pic.twitter.com/NRJg73GEyH
— FirePhotoGirl (@FirePhotoGirl) September 6, 2022
The fire’s cause remains under investigation.
The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services announced early Tuesday that California has secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help ensure the availability of resources to suppress the fire.
The grant will enable local, state and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75% reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs.
Besides the Fairview fire, Inland firefighters were also busy dealing with the Radford fire in the San Bernardino National Forest south of Big Bear Lake.
City News Service contributed to this story.
Originally published at Jeff Horseman