A brush fire that started on a hillside west of Lake Elsinore and quickly grew to 145 acres reportedly destroyed one home while continuing to threaten dozens of others on Friday morning near the Cleveland National Forest.
However, crews overnight held the Macy fire to the 145 acres and achieved 15% containment, officials said in a morning update. Containment is the percentage of the fire’s border that flames are not expected to break through, either because of firefighters’ work or natural barriers like rocks or a water body.
“Fire resources will remain on the scene throughout the day, constructing a containment line in the very steep, rugged terrain,” the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department said in the update.
The fire, reported just before 5:45 p.m. Thursday near the El Cariso Campground north of Ortega Highway, grew quickly as the flames ran downhill at a “dangerous rate of spread” heading directly toward homes alongside the federal preserve, officials said.
About an hour after the blaze was first reported, it jumped Ortega Highway, burning along both sides near a turnout close to the Ortega Oaks Candy Store, officials said Thursday.
Ortega Highway was closed from Grand Avenue to San Juan Capistrano and Grand Avenue was closed from Machado Street to Maiden Lane.
An evacuation order remains in place on Friday morning for properties south of Grand Avenue, east of Fairview Street and west of Ortega Highway, officials said. An evacuation center Thursday night was set up at Elsinore High School, 21800 Canyon Drive, in Wildomar.
No injuries have yet been reported as a result of the wildfire.
Ground crews Thursday were assisted by five Cal Fire air tankers and three water-dropping helicopters, which made runs on the fire and made drops for the protection of homes in the fire’s path, officials said. Engine and hand crews from Riverside County, Orange County, the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies were battling the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
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