Crime & Safety

UPDATED: 'Silver Fire' Charring Thousands Of Acres, Structures Lost

UPDATED AUG. 9, 2013 AT 7:42 A.M.: The 3-day-old Silver Fire, which has destroyed 26 homes and forced hundreds of people from their homes, has grown another 2,000 acres -- to 16,000 -- but containment also has increased and now stands at 25 percent, authorities said today.

For the latest on the blaze, visit Banning-Beaumont.Patch.com.

The blaze, which broke out on Poppet Flats Road south of Banning at 2:05 p.m. Wednesday, continues to burn on both sides of Highway 243 and in the San Jacinto wilderness. What sparked it hasn't been determined.

As of Thursday night, the fire had charred 14,000 acres, but CalFire officials said this morning that the blaze-stricken area now stands at 16,000 acres, with 25 percent of it flanked by containment lines. There was no immediate estimate on when 100 percent containment might be achieved.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

More than 1,400 firefighters have been deployed to fight the fire. They were expected to confront tough conditions today.

Temperatures in the burn area will be in the 80s and 90s, depending on the elevation, with sustained west winds of 15 to 25 miles per hour and gusts of around 35 mph, said Greg Martin, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A minimum relative humidity of 10 percent was forecast, up slightly from Thursday, Martin said, adding that conditions will be little changed through the weekend, though the wind may weaken.

A civilian injured Wednesday in the area where the fire started was taken by air to a burn center suffering from severe burns from head to toe, Riverside County Fire Department Chief John Hawkins said.

Two firefighters suffered heat exhaustion and were ordered to be off for 72 hours, Hawkins told reporters at a Thursday afternoon news conference in Beaumont. Information on the extent of the injuries to the other firefighters was unavailable.

Cal Fire officials said 26 homes and one commercial structure have been destroyed and two structures damaged. As of 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 539 structures were threatened, they said.

Hawkins called the blaze "one of the most rapid, quickly spreading, dangerous fires I've seen." He said fire officials expected more of the blaze to be contained  overnight, "but we also know the fire is increasing in size."

"We are committed to acting and quickly putting this fire to bed," Hawkins said.

On Wednesday, he said, the fire spread rapidly from its point of origin near Wolfskill Truck Trail and Old Idyllwild Road, destroying homes in Twin Pines. The fire marched nine miles from its starting point, and was moving east toward Snow Creek, he said.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department Thursday afternoon issued an evacuation order for Snow Creek Village in Cabazon. It had earlier issued an evacuation warning for Snow Creek and lower Cabazon east of Elm Street.

Evacuation orders were issued early Thursday morning for Peach, Plum and Eucalyptus streets, as well as Riza and Ida avenues and Helen Avenue between Eucalyptus and Elm streets, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

On Wednesday, evacuation orders were issued for Poppet Flats, Twin Pines, Mt. Edna, Vista Grande and Silent Valley, and Highway 243 was closed between Banning and Azalea Trail in Poppet Flats.

Evacuation centers were set up at Hemet and Beaumont high schools. The San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus was opened for evacuated pets.

Smoke from the fire was reported in downtown Palm Springs and around the Coachella Valley. The South Coast Air Quality Management District warned that children, seniors, people with heart or lung disease and other vulnerable groups should minimize outdoor activity in areas where smoke can be seen or smelled.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said at a news conference in Beaumont Thursday that smoke was evident near her Rancho Mirage home.

"The air outside was so thick we thought there was a fire in our community," she said.

The Palm Springs Unified School District on Thursday canceled high school athletics and its after-school program at its eight elementary schools because of the air quality, district spokeswoman Joan Boiko said. Whether the cancellations would continue today was not immediately announced. --City News Service


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.