As a nearly 30,000-acre wildfire burned near Hemet on On Friday, officials were optimistic that Tropical Storm Kei had not intensified the flames as many had feared, but instead brought some relief.
Fearing the worst due to high winds and lightning, the officials ordered more evacuation at the end of Thursday in promote of storm.
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15:22 September 9, 2022Previously version of this article was about Fairview fire grew and became the largest of season in California. McKinney fire in Siskiyou County that burned down over 60,000 acres, this is the year’s largest wildfire.
But by Friday evening, officials said the “badly needed rainfall” from Kay had ended. indeed slowed down the spread of Fairview fire, which allows them to increase containment from 5% to 40% and reduce from some evacuation orders to warnings, but with a warning that the situation remains “dynamic”.
They stayed concerned what a storm system can create flash floods, mudflows and other hazards.
“We are concerned about how we get more moisture from Kay himself, he can go into thunderstorms and also thunderstorms it would have been too much rain too fast,” said Matt Mehle, incident meteorologist. with National Weather Service.
Flash flood and strong wind warnings were in effect until Friday evening for a lot of of in area near the forest fire that swept away more than 20,000 people and killed at least two. BUT flood watch for a lot of of same region was extended until midnight Saturday.
“His super dynamic,” said Marco Rodriguez, public information Officer with Los Angeles County Fire Department, one of crews to help in Riverside County. “AT last six hourswe went from a dry thick brush to a wet and super wet conditions.”
But he warned that fire still “burns hot”, which makes it hard to tell how a lot of afternoon rain will affect the flames in one of Biggest fires in California of in year.
Tropical Storm Kei raged along the northern coast. of Mexico’s Baja California, Friday night, about 130 miles. off Coast of San Diego. system brought heavy rain and winds reaching speeds of 100 mph in some parts of San Diego raises concerns about coastal flooding in Los Angeles County and Flash Floods more interior.
The storm was predicted to bring up to 7 inches of rain to Riverside County, and strong winds and muggy conditions across Southern California at least Saturday.
“I was on forest fires where we had hail, I was on forest fires where there used to be snow and rain, Mele said, but out of my 30+ wildfires, I’ve never been on one where i dealt with a tropical storm is about as close as we got to it.”
Mele said that the probability of Flash flood low, but most likely occur within 12 hours from Friday evening to Saturday morning. Officials have been informed, he said. for such a possibility because any flash flood would be “a very strong blow”.
Almost 24,000 people from Hemet to Temecula received an evacuation order for fairview fire On Friday morning, officials feared the worst from a tropical storm. The wildfire, which grew nearly 4,000 acres overnight, expanded less than 1,000 acres overnight to 28,307 acres on Friday.
At least 13 structures were destroyed, and 10,000 are at risk. It wasn’t right away clear how a lot of people were still under evacuation orders after Friday night officials reduced some evacuation orders to warnings for communities southwest of in fire.
Before noon Friday, almost 120 people checked in to the Temecula Community Recreation Center, one of three evacuation shelters set up for Fairview fireaccording to the shelter manager John Stone and more were expected as the flames raged nearby.
Dozens of evacuees sat huddled around tables, many in blankets against cold rain outside.
“It was so hot when we left, we didn’t bring warm clothes with us,” Annamay Hughes, 71, said. who evacuated her to Wilson Valley home late thursday evening with her husband as well as son. Turn in in weather – brought Tropical Storm Kay – another anomaly noted for Hughes, who said she had never experienced a wildfire evacuation. in her 40 plus years in California.
“Don’t you think of things like until it happens to you,” she said.
Chris Young and his wife who escaped from their Avery Canyon home Monday, said what worries them most weather brings strong winds. Through them home CCTV cameras, they were able to confirm them house managed to save from the fire, but they feared that strong gusts of wind could move fire back in them direction.
“This is our No. 1 concern – the wind blows back to the west, bringing coals back to our canyon,” Young said from the Menifee Hotel, where the couple was hiding. up since the evacuation. “Were still on pins and needles trying to keep hope but we don’t out of forest yet.
Officials said on Friday morning that strong east winds were creating dangerous long-range detection, which jump flame up a mile away, threatening some of in more settlements west of in fire, from Hemet to Sage. It turned out that the rains on Friday afternoon calmed down a bit. of the strongest winds, but officials said they could easily return.
The Riverside County Office of Emergency Management issued a warning weather could cause “dangerous flooding and damage throughout the county” such as flash floods and mud or mudflows.
More than 2100 crew members worked on fire Friday, as well as 16 helicopters and numerous air tankers from all over the state, but officials said weather conditions are justified air operations.
“Once the winds get to 30 mph or more, it’s not safe to fly and any fire extinguishing agent they’re going to use will drop “Whether it’s water or a flame retardant, it’s 100% ineffective,” said Justin McGough, head of the Cal Fire day department at Fairview. fire.
Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday proclaimed the state of emergency for Riverside as well for Eldorado and Placer counties, where crews fight mosquito fires that are kept at 0% and are growing rapidly.
Evacuation centers for fairview fire Was set up at Takitz High School in Hemet, Temecula Community Recreation Center and Temecula Valley High School, both on Rancho Vista Road like a evacuation order remain in place. Riverside County Animal Shelter in San Jacinto available cover large and small animals, and the Perris Fairgrounds can host in large animals.
like thousands of homes remain threatened by the Fairview fire, many families hope for in best.
Olivia Perez and her two children evacuated their Aguanga home around 11 am Thursday, taking everything they could: clothes, pillows, blankets, toothpaste, food and documents.
“You see how fast your life can change,” Perez, 55, said. who fought back tears as she spoke at the shelter of the Temecula Community Recreation Center.
Her children – fourteen-year-old Rio Jimenez and her brother Uriel Jimenez, 10 years old – worked on homework at the table in the shelter. Uriel said he felt “stress, fear and anxiety about everything we left in in house”. He was especially concerned about the book on George Washington Carver he forgot to take.
“I need it for my lessons,” he said.
Rio remembered seeing ashes, flames and smoke as they left their home but she hoped it would rain help prevent the worst case scenario.
“Even if you’re scared and start to panic, you need to remain calm,” she said.
“And pray,” she mother added.
Times Staff Writer Jonah Valdez contributed to this report.
