Firefighters battled a 600-acre wildfire Friday that ignited in the early morning hours near Mountain Center, stopping forward progress by the afternoon after dry Santa Ana winds died down.
Containment stood at 5% late Friday afternoon and no structures had been lost and no injuries reported, said Capt. Richard Cordova, spokesperson for Cal Fire Riverside County.
The Bonita fire was first reported at 1:16 a.m. in the 28000 block of Bonita Vista Drive, near Apple Canyon Road north of Garner Valley. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The blaze was ignited amid warmer-than-usual temperatures in the mountain areas in the Palm Springs area. Santa Ana winds are expected to continue across the Southland Saturday, and coupled with low humidity will increase the danger of wildfires.
Cordova said crews were able to fight the blaze aggressively when it started with additional Cal Fire units in the area already.
“When we recognize a wind event and see the potential for a fire, we will move equipment up and down the state,” Cordova said.
The Fresno/Kings Cal Fire unit arrived Thursday at 7p.m., so they were already here to assist, Cordova said.
Fire Capt. Chris Bruno with Cal Fire’s Fresno/Kings unit said the lighter winds were giving firefighters on the ground and in the air an advantage. Hand and dozer crews are working as helicopters were flying above.
By about 8:45 a.m., there were no visible flames from Highway 74 near the Living Free Animal Sanctuary, but some smoke could be seen over the ridge where helicopters were dropping retardant.
“We’re trying to work aggressively to make an attack on it, that way we can have it contained before the wind kicks up again,” Bruno said.
Living Free Animal Sanctuary is a nonprofit animal shelter located a couple miles west of where the fire burned Friday. Fire came to the edge of the shelter’s parking lot near the visitor center and almost took out the well house.
“It came significantly closer than we like,” said Jo Ann Roettgen of Living Free.
The 150 to 200 animals — including cats, dogs, rabbits and horses — were all loaded for evacuation by 4 a.m., Roettgen said. But they did not have to leave.
“We sheltered in place and awaited word. We were told it was OK,” she said, and animals were safely returned to their holding areas.
Evacuation center established, roads reopen
The progress meant that some of the 200 households that had been evacuated were able to return home. Evacuation orders were lifted for residents living west of Highways 74 and 243.
An evacuation order, however, remains in place for residents east of Highways 74 and 243 from Keenwild Fire Station to the north and Keen Camp Road to the south, Cal Fire announced on Twitter.
Those returning home are asked to use caution as fire crews continue to work in the area.
An evacuation center was set up at the Banning Community Center at 789 N. San Gorgonio Ave. in Banning. Large and small animals were being accepted at the San Jacinto Animal Campus, 581 S. Grand Ave., San Jacinto.
All road closures were lifted Friday afternoon, with the exception of Highway 74 from Mountain Center to Lake Hemet. The area was reduced to one lane with law enforcement escorts.
Southern California Edison reported two power outages in the area Friday morning, one north of Mountain Center affecting 334 customers and another affecting 137 customers west of Mountain Center.
Smoke and ash from the fire may affect people with breathing disorders who live in the vicinity, prompting the South Coast Air Quality Management District to issue a smoke advisory Friday
According to the AQMD, smoke from the wildland blaze was drifting to the southwest, over the Anza Valley, as of early afternoon, and for the time being, “good air quality index levels” have been recorded.
However, people with sensitive conditions should be aware of the hazards from exposure to any particulate matter, AQMD officials said.
“If you smell smoke or see ash due to a wildfire, limit your exposure by remaining indoors with windows and doors closed … and avoiding vigorous physical activity,” the air quality agency recommended.
An earlier brush fire near homes caused anxious moments Thursday in Thousand Oaks, west of Los Angeles, but Ventura County firefighters held it to 250 acres and evacuations were lifted.
Fire weather across Southern California
Gusty Santa Ana winds are expected to continue in most of Riverside County Friday amid dry and unseasonably warm conditions, significantly raising the risk of wildfires.
A red flag warning will be in effect in the Riverside metropolitan area and the Riverside County mountains until 4 p.m. Saturday. The warning had been set to expire Friday afternoon, but forecasters extended it amid predictions of continued gusty winds.
According to the National Weather Service, winds were expected to die down somewhat Friday afternoon before picking up again Saturday.
“The next round of Santa Ana winds will develop Saturday morning, peak Saturday afternoon into Saturday night with strongest gusts to around 45 mph, then diminish Sunday,” according to the NWS. “With humidity remaining quite low Saturday, this has prompted the extension of the red flag warning through 4 p.m. Saturday.”
Winds out of the northeast were expected to be between 15-35 mph Friday, with gusts potentially reaching 40 mph in the the Riverside metropolitan area and 55 mph in the mountains, forecasters said. Winds were around 15 mph Friday morning in the Coachella Valley, then become light by Friday afternoon
Humidity will drop to between 8-12% Friday throughout the region.
The red flag warning means any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and outdoor burning is not recommended, according to the NWS.
High temperatures Friday were expected to be in the mid-to-high 80s in the valleys and metro area, the mid-80s in the Coachella Valley and the upper 60s to lower 70s in the mountains.
Forecasters said more localized and weaker winds are expected on Saturday and Sunday, then a round of potentially stronger Santa Ana winds is expected Monday through Wednesday.
“Another round of more widespread and stronger northeast winds develops on Monday, peak late Monday night through Tuesday, then slowly subside for Tuesday night and Wednesday,” forecasters said. “Humidity looks higher and is expected to stay above 20 percent. There is also a chance of showers mainly for the mountains and lower deserts.”
More than 95% of California is experiencing moderate, severe, extreme or exceptional drought, the U.S. Drought Monitor said Thursday. The remainder — stretching east and south of Los Angeles to the U.S.-Mexico border — is considered abnormally dry.
Efforts to reduce wildfire fuel lagging
The Bonita fire ignited just after fire officials said Wednesday they were temporarily halting prescribed burn efforts in the area due to declining weather conditions.
Earlier in the month the weather turned to more wintery conditions, which it seemed at the time would allow crews to get out and safely ignite prescribed burns. Due to insufficient burns, climate change and a history of aggressive fire suppression, California’s worst fire season in recorded human history torched more than 4 million acres. That’s more than double what has burned in a single year since data-tracking began.
“We set out each year to accomplish as much prescribed burning as we can, when it is safe to do so,” Scott Howes, the San Bernardino National Forest’s deputy fire chief, said in the statement announcing the burns.
The Forest Service was looking to burn 2,800 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest through the winter and spring, although whether that’s accomplished hinges on a range of climatic variables.
“These factors include wind, humidity, air quality, fuel moisture and availability of fire crew personnel,” according to the Forest Service.
“Prescribed burning is an important activity for the long-term health and wellness of the Forest,” said the San Bernardino National Forest’s Fire Chief Jaime Gamboa, “but when a heightened fire danger returns, we need to switch gears and be ready for the possibility of significant fire activity.”
The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report, along with previous reporting by Desert Sun environment reporter Mark Olalde.
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