Federal Aid Secured As Apple Fire Stretches To 26,000 Acres

BANNING, CA – The state has secured funds from the federal government to support emergency crews as they continue to battle the Apple Fire in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which will also assist local, state and tribal agencies that are responding to the fire to apply for 75 percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs.

As of Monday morning, the fire reached 26,450 acres and remained five percent contained, according to officials.

Read the latest updates on the Apple Fire here.

"The fire continues to move north and east and there were multiple spot fires overnight on north side," San Bernadino National Forest officials wrote on Twitter on Monday.

A total of 2,266 firefighters and other personnel were assigned to the fire, including 29 hand crews and firefighters on 260 engines. Management of the fire was taken over by a federal team Sunday morning as the blaze spread onto federal land, a dispatcher told Patch.

Officials said much of the northern and eastern edge of the fire is in very steep, rugged hillsides that is not accessible to firefighting vehicles. Helicopters, fixed wing air tankers, ground equipment and hand crews were all recruited to battle the wildfire.

An emergency closure order was put in place Sunday prohibiting all entry into the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area, including the Pacific Crest Hiking Trail between the Forest Boundary and Forest Road 1N01.

The American Red Cross assisted evacuees by putting them up in hotels.

Riverside County residents are encouraged to visit the website www.rivcoready.org/ActiveEvent... for an interactive map, where they can enter their address and see if they are in an evacuation area. They can also follow https://twitter.com/RivCoReady for updates.

Officials also shared video footage from the scene, where large plumes of smoke could be seen.

This is a developing story. Check back in for updates.

Past coverage:

• Cherry Valley's Apple Fire Grows To 20,500 Acres, 5% Contained
• 12,000 Acres, Evacs Ordered In Cherry Valley's Apple Fire
• Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District Helps Fight Apple Fire