#20 Postby furluvcats » Mon Apr 26, 2004 11:03 am
Blaze chars 2,100 acres, destroys two homes
INLAND: The wildfire east of Temecula near Lake Riverside spurs call for voluntary evacuations.
11:07 PM PDT on Sunday, April 25, 2004
By HENRI BRICKEY / The Press-Enterprise
A wildfire swept across hills and through ravines west of Lake Riverside on Sunday, destroying at least two residences and nine vehicles and burning about 2,100 acres.
The Pleasure Fire began just after 1 p.m. when a motorhome traveling on Highway 371 caught fire near Foolish Pleasure Road, about 13 miles east of Temecula.
"The fire spread into the bushes along the roadside, then just took off," said Capt. Rick Vogt, a spokesman for the Riverside County Fire Department.
Frank Bellino / The Press-Enterprise
A firefighter douses hot spots near a home on Wilson Valley Road in Riverside County near Lake Riverside. Firefighters saved the home.
The fire spread quickly in the sparsely populated, rural area with temperatures in the 90s and only 7 percent humidity, Vogt said. It was 40 percent contained Sunday night, with full containment expected by 6 tonight.
Typically, Vogt said, such conditions aren't common until June or July.
"We're off to an early start this season," he said.
The two residences that burned were mobile homes. Voluntary evacuations were suggested for 70 homes. At one point Sunday evening, the fire was within a half mile of Lake Riverside Estates, which has about 400 homes.
Philippe Belloni stayed at his home along Wilson Valley Road when the flames approached the property where Belloni works as a dog trainer.
"I'd wait until the very last minute," Belloni said from the rocking chair on his porch, where he watched the fire come to within 50 feet of his home. A flank of fire crews stopped the flames.
"You don't win the fight you leave," he said.
Belloni was lucky. In another yard, four vehicles were left charred and smoking, but the house remained untouched by the flames.
Residents gave firefighters credit for saving many homes. As the fire spread, crews moved to set up in front of every home near the blaze.
No one was injured in the fire, which was being fought by more than 570 firefighters from departments as far away as Indio, Carlsbad, Escondido and Los Angeles County. Four helicopters and two air tankers worked the fire from the air.
Authorities closed Highway 371 between Highway 74 and Highway 79 for several hours, according to CHP reports.
Some travelers pulled into the Cahuilla Casino, which also served as an evacuation center. Jay Guevara, security sergeant/shift manager, said that casino officials opened their parking lot to anyone with a trailer or camper. The casino didn't have facilities to set up a complete Red Cross shelter inside.
Red Cross officials were considering working with Hamilton High School in Anza if the evacuation became mandatory, according to Martin Ayala of the Riverside County American Red Cross.
Other fires
Firefighters throughout the Inland area battled smaller brush fires over the weekend.
A four-acre grass fire was stamped out Sunday afternoon in the Perris area, according to a Riverside County Fire information officer.
Norco firefighters doused a three-acre brush fire Saturday afternoon in the 1600 block of Pacific Avenue. A falling tree had knocked down a power line, igniting the fire, Norco Fire Department Captain David Goad said.
In Banning, firefighters put out a two-acre wildfire on W. Gilman Street and 4th Place around 2 a.m. Sunday.
Staff writers Shannon Starr, Sharyn Obsatz and Stefanie Frith contributed to this report.
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