Riverside County fire breaks containment, surging to 2,206 acres near evacuated homes
A Riverside County wildfire continued to burn out of control Saturday evening and had swelled to 2,206 acres, while parts of a nearby residential community remained under evacuation orders.
The Bonny fire, which ignited Thursday afternoon near Aguanga southeast of Temecula, has grown steadily amid changing wind patterns, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection/Riverside County Fire Department.
The fire has been burning close to the community of Terwilliger Valley, but so far no homes have been damaged and one injury has been reported. A fire official said a “large part” of the blaze was burning in the wilderness and away from homes but that the situation could easily change for the worse. Officials said flames have destroyed a nonresidential building and one vehicle.
The blaze was 5% contained as of Saturday morning. Crews had estimated its containment at 10% early Friday, but lost ground as the fire swelled in size.
More than 1,000 firefighters continued to battle the blaze under a heat advisory as it burned toward the southeast, charring dense vegetation. Air resources including five helicopters were also on hand.
“The firefighters were able to do some good work despite the steep, rugged terrain,” said Rob Roseen, a public information officer for the fire department.
Temperatures on Friday crept up into the triple digits with low humidity. Similar weather conditions are expected Saturday, with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon, heightening the risk of erratic fire behavior, officials said.
Track wildfire origins, perimeters and air pollution with the L.A. Times California wildfires map.
There will be continued risk of lightning in the area from Sunday night into Monday morning, before temperatures fall back into the 90s, where they’re expected to remain for much of the week, said Casey Oswant, meteorologist with the National Weather Service San Diego office.
“It will be pretty toasty for the next couple of days,” Oswant said.
Evacuation orders expanded Friday afternoon, more than tripling the number of homes threatened by the fire. A wildfire smoke advisory was issued for eastern Riverside County, with residents urged to stay indoors if they smell smoke or see ash.
At 12:30 p.m., all residents of the Terwilliger Valley community were ordered to evacuate, affecting more than 700 homes. The expanded evacuation included residents north of the San Diego County border, west of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, south of Bowers, Bailey and Ramsey roads, and east of Bonny Lane.
Hamilton High School in Anza, at 57430 Mitchell Road, is serving as an evacuation center. A stretch of Old Mitchell Camp Road between Chihuahua Valley Road and Cooper Cienega Truck Trail was closed, as was Chihuahua Valley Road between Old Mitchell Camp Road and Highway 79.
Capt. Robert Foxworthy, a spokesperson for Cal Fire, said this winter’s historic rainfall and snowpack delayed the fire season. But in the coming weeks, he expects larger fires to ignite in recently dried fuels.
“As we continue in the summer, especially with 100-plus temperatures, we will continue to have fuels dying out and drying out and being more receptive to burn,” he said. “The chances for those bigger fires will only increase.”
The Quick Reaction Force from the Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange county fire departments will be available 24 hours a day all year long.
Another Riverside County fire that broke out Thursday evening, near Banning, was no longer active on Saturday.
The York Fire in northeast San Bernardino County had rapidly expanded Saturday to 30,000 acres, according to a spokesperson with the Mojave National Preserve. The only structures threatened were some cabins in the wilderness, the official said.
The Sunset fire, which ignited near Mesa and Gilman streets, had reached 103 acres and firefighters were battling the blaze through Friday.
Investigators said Friday they believe that fire was the result of arson. One suspect — identified only as Andre Cox — has been arrested and now faces multiple charges, fire officials said.
Times staff writer Adam Elmahrek contributed to this report.
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