Wildfire breaks out in Southern California
LOS ANGELES — Helicopters and airplanes bombarded burning ranch lands with water and retardant Friday in an effort to prevent any more of the wildfire destruction that has marked October in California.
The latest fire erupted about 70 miles southeast of Los Angeles even as firefighters neared full containment of the month’s devastating infernos in Northern California and authorities made an arrest in connection with a blaze south of San Francisco.
Some 200 homes were under evacuation orders as firefighters fought a 2-day-old blaze that had scorched 700 acres in southwestern Riverside County near Lake Elsinore and the Cleveland National Forest.
Despite spreading rapidly after it was ignited Thursday, the fire had not burned any structures but was just 15 percent contained, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. Most of the evacuations were in La Cresta, a community south of Lake Elsinore.
The fire began in the Wildomar Off-Highway Vehicle Area. A dirt bike on an offroad trail crashed into a tree and gasoline ignited, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported. The 18-year-old rider had minor injuries.
Southern California weather continued to run very warm and dry due to high pressure aloft and weak offshore flow, but the dangerous Santa Ana winds that had been gusting just days earlier were absent.
Cooler weather was expected Sunday through Tuesday, followed by a modest warmup, and then a significant change to more fall-like weather as low pressure develops along the West Coast with possible rain over much of the state, the National Weather Service said.
In Northern California, firefighters were putting out hotspots and repairing damage caused by suppression of firestorms that erupted amid fierce winds on Oct. 8, Cal Fire said. The major fire complexes ranged from 95 percent to 98 percent surrounded.
At the peak of the firestorm, there were 21 major wildfires that burned a combined total of more than 383 square miles, forced 100,000 people to flee their homes, destroyed 8,800 structures and took 42 lives.
South of San Francisco, authorities announced the arrested of a man they alleged started a fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains that destroyed two homes and injured seven firefighters.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Jim Hart said Marlon Coy, 54, was arrested on suspicion of arson, looting, burglary, causing great bodily injury to firefighters, and destroying forests.
Coy intentionally started the fire on the night of Oct. 16 after getting into a dispute with a neighbor, Hart said.
Deputies first detained Coy last week after he was allegedly spotted stealing from evacuated homes. It wasn’t immediately known if Coy had retained a lawyer.