Highland fire burns 1,200 acres and multiple structures, spurs evacuations in Riverside County

A brush fire in Riverside County exploded to scorch more than 1,200 acres on Monday, closing roads and prompting evacuation orders that grew along with the size of the fire.

Firefighters were facing gusty winds and relatively low humidity that were propelling the flames, a Cal Fire spokesperson told The Times.

The blaze, dubbed the Highland fire, was first reported at 12:37 p.m. near Highlands Road and Aguanga Ranchos Road in the unincorporated neighborhood of Aguanga.

By 7 p.m., the fire had reached 1,219 acres, destroyed three structures and damaged six more, according to Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. She did not have information on the type of structures affected. Firefighters had made no progress at containment.

An evacuation order was issued for Aguanga residents north of Cottonwood Creek, south of Sage Road and Golden Eagle Drive, west of Boulder Vista and east of Becker Lane. At 7 p.m., Cal Fire officials extended the evacuation area to include residents south of Highway 371, west of Sorensen Road and north of the San Diego County line.

At 9 p.m., the evacuation order extended to include the area east of Vail Lake Resort, north of David Street, south of Pueblo Drive and west of Shirley Way.

An evacuation warning, a less urgent alert, was issued for north of Cleveland National Forest, south of Watts Road, Esplendida Way and Avenida Bravura, east of Pauba Road and De Portola Road and west of Round Top Canyon Road. The evacuation warning perimeter was also extended to west of the Cahuilla reservation boundary and north of the San Diego County line.

Cal Fire officials published an online map of the evacuation areas.

California

Fires ignite as Santa Ana winds raise danger of quick-moving flames

Strong Santa Ana winds created dangerous fire conditions. Officials warned of the possibility for blazes and power shutoffs.

Oct. 30, 2023

A reception and care center for evacuees was opened at Great Oak High School in Temecula, 32555 Deer Hollow Way. Those who have large or small animals that need shelter were advised to drop them off at the San Jacinto Animal Shelter, 581 S. Grand Ave.

Road closures were in place along Highway 79 between Sage Road and the San Diego County line, as well as between Sage Road and Wilson Valley Road.

A high-wind warning was in place for Riverside County until 10 p.m. Monday, after which it was set to be downgraded to a wind advisory through 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The agency had issued a red flag warning for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through 2 p.m. Tuesday due to the Santa Ana winds.

Cline De La Rosa said firefighters were working in conditions of low relatively humidity and sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph. She said the crews’ top priority Monday night was structure protection against the wind-driven fire.