Thousands of residents were evacuated on October 31 when a wildfire, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, ravaged Riverside County.
The blaze, named the Highland Fire, ignited near the intersection of freeways 79 and 371 around 12:40 p.m. the previous day. Swiftly consuming more than 2,000 acres, the fire’s spread was exacerbated by dry conditions and winds, as reported by the Riverside County Fire Department (RCFD).
“By the morning of October 31, the wildfire had engulfed 2,200 acres, necessitating the evacuation of 1,139 homes and approximately 4,000 residents in the vicinity,” authorities disclosed. Additionally, three buildings were destroyed, and six others incurred partial damage.
Evacuated residents have been accommodated at a shelter established at Great Oak High School in Temecula.
On the previous day, authorities issued evacuation orders for regions west of Boulder Vista Street, east of Becker Lane, north of Cottonwood Creek, and south of Golden Eagle Drive, including areas adjacent to Highway 371. Supplementary evacuation orders were declared earlier for zones south of Highway 79, north of the San Diego County boundary, east of Forest Route 8S07, and west of Crosley Truck Trail.
According to the latest updates at 7:30 p.m. on October 31, the fire was reported to be 10 percent contained. The containment efforts have been hampered by persistent high winds and low humidity. To combat the wildfire, three helicopters and a team of 310 firefighters have been mobilized, as stated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire).
Additionally, the day before the Highland Fire, another wildfire erupted near Mount Rubidoux in Riverside County at approximately 10:30 p.m., scorching close to 30 acres. This incident necessitated the swift evacuation of hikers present in the area; however, no injuries have been reported.
BY YEJIN KIM, JUNHAN PARK [kim.yejin3@koreadaily.com]
