Ortega Hwy, Temescal Canyon Evac Warnings Issued For Holy Fire

SEE THE LATEST ON EVACUATIONS IN OUR WEDNESDAY STORY HERE: Mandatory Evacuations Called In Elsinore, RivCo For Holy Fire

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — As hundreds of firefighters are at the lines of the out-of-control Holy Fire in parts of Orange County and Riverside County, the U.S. Forest Service issued a call for voluntary evacuations on Tuesday afternoon.

At around 2:15 p.m., the agency issued the following "voluntary evacuation warning":

• Highway 74 (Ortega Highway) west from Lookout Restaurant to Nichols Institute and all connecting roads in the communities of Rancho Capistrano, El Cariso Village and Blue Jay.

By late afternoon, the U.S. Forest Service also advised residents of the Glen Eden and Horsethief communities in the Temescal Valley, between Corona and Lake Elsinore, to evacuate the area as a precaution, though no properties were immediately threatened.

People in the affected area are being urged to exit the area west into Orange County because fire crews are using the roadway on the Lake Elsinore side.

The fire is currently estimated at 3,339 acres burned — down from 4,000 acres thanks to better mapping — with less than five percent containment.

Click here to read all the latest on the Holy Fire via our Rancho Santa Margarita Patch here.

SEE ALSO:

• 26 Incredible Images Of The Holy Fire

— Photo by Mark Ritter