Crime & Safety
Manzanita Fire Update: Containment Reaches 86 Percent On 4th Day
Since Monday, the fire south of Beaumont has scorched more than 6,300 acres.
BEAUMONT, CA – Firefighters worked Thursday to surround a large brush fire threatening rural communities throughout the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning.
The blaze, dubbed the Manzanita Fire, was 86 percent contained Thursday morning after having scorched more than 6,300 acres, the Riverside County Fire Department reported.
The fire, sparked by a traffic crash south of Beaumont, was reported shortly after 3 p.m. Monday in the area of state Route 79 and Dump Road, near the Lamb Canyon landfill. An agency spokeswoman said a solo vehicle crash triggered the wildfire. Two people suffered non life-threatening injuries in the crash.
Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
SEE ALSO:
- Details Released In Crash That Likely Sparked Manzanita Fire Near Beaumont [Photos, Video]
- Manzanita Fire Day 3: Containment Grows, Evacuation Warnings Lifted
Communities in the path of the fire included Mount Edna, Poppet Flats, Silent Valley, Twin Pines and other lightly populated areas between Highland Home Road and state Route 243 in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning. Evacuation warnings issued for those locations were lifted Wednesday morning but motorists were advised to proceed with caution while using state Route 243 and 79 and to be prepared to yield to fire personnel.
Find out what's happening in Banning-Beaumontfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
According to Cal Fire, about 1,300 personnel were deployed on the fire lines, aided by multiple air tankers and water-dropping helicopters, water tenders and bulldozers. Firefighters responded from the county, along with Beaumont, Corona, Hemet, Idyllwild, Murrieta, Riverside and San Bernardino County.
Firefighters battled triple digit temperatures Wednesday, along with wind gusts and low humidity.
The blaze also prompted a smoke advisory from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, warning that air quality could reach unhealthy levels in areas directly affected by smoke, including most of the San Gorgonio Pass, San Jacinto and the Coachella Valley, which was extended to Thursday morning.
Riverside County public health officials urged residents in affected areas to stay indoors with air conditioning on and their windows closed.
– By City News Service / Patch photo by Renee Schiavone
