Raging fire in California forces thousands from their homes

A fast-moving fire in the small town of Aguanga in Southern California forced the evacuation of thousands of people and had burned more than 2,200 acres as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The fire erupted at about 12:45 p.m. on Monday in dry, bushy hills, and evacuation orders affected almost 4,000 people and 1,139 homes, said Jeff LaRusso, a spokesperson for the fire department. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

Another 500 homes were under evacuation warnings on Tuesday, LaRusso added, the step before an evacuation order, meaning that residents should consider leaving.

Residents posted videos and photos of strong winds and smoky conditions on social media, warning that the fire was moving fast. The strong winds and low humidity are the main factors driving the fire, LaRusso said.

The National Weather Service also issued an air quality alert for the region because of the wildfire smoke. Temperatures were below 50 degrees in Aguanga overnight.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the fire was 0% contained, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

More than 300 firefighters have responded to the blaze so far, and the fire department said it had used three air tankers to combat the quickly spreading flames to no avail.

Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a spokesperson for the Riverside County Fire Department, said in an update on social media on Tuesday that those responding to the fire had adequate resources, including additional aircraft expected to arrive later.

“Please remain vigilant,” she said. “We have lots of firefighters on the ground doing their best to battle this fire.”

One firefighter was injured overnight, and he was taken to a hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition, Cline De La Rosa said by email. No civilian injuries had been reported, she said.

The first firefighters to arrive on the scene encountered “a fire burning with a moderate rate of spread,” according to the fire department, and it has since intensified. The rapid spread of the fire was helped by the Santa Ana winds, which are dry, warm winds that come from the desert and are common during the cooler months of the year.

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