Holy Fire Held to 155 Acres; Wildfire 20 Percent Contained Near Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake Elsinore

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — Firefighters in Orange County, California, have held the Holy Jim fire to 155 acres and upped containment to 20 percent as of 9:30 a.m. Thursday, according to incident command reports.

The number of firefighters battling the blaze rose to 283 on Thursday, Sept. 1. Engines from Orange County Fire Authority, Cal Fire and Cleveland National Forest Service are working in a unified command.

Thirteen of the new firefighters are the Smoke Jumpers from Redding and Porterville, in a first ever call for aid from Cleveland National Forest Service.

"They jump in and hike themselves out when the work is done," Olivia Walker, Public Affairs Officer for Cleveland National Forest Service said.

The rise in containment can be attributed to the smoke jumpers' ability to reach steep, rugged terrain that otherwise would not have been reachable, Walker said.

Thursday's weather will see a cooling trend in the Santa Ana mountains. Temperatures will be in the mid to upper 80s today, with 54 percent relative humidity.

Yesterday, smoke was visible across four counties as the Holy Jim Fire continued to burn.

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Reports from Orange County Fire Authority state that there was 5 percent containment of the fire and that crews would work overnight to keep it at bay. The fire was at 155 acres as of noon Wednesday.

"Currently, the fire remains steady...and is holding at the top of the ridge just above Bell Canyon," the Unified Command Cleveland National Forest and OCFA last reported.

There are currently 200 firefighters on the scene from Orange County Fire Authority, Cleveland National Forest Service and Cal Fire with more on the way. In the air, 11 helicopters, seven air tankers including a DC-10 air tanker continue to battle the blaze, according to Orange County Fire Authority Public Information Officer Capt. Steve Concialdi.

"The wildland firefighters are battling the Holy Fire over steep mountain terrain in critical fire conditions," Concialdi said.

Four firefighters have been injured during the course of fighting this fire, and many of those injuries are heat-related due to the rugged, steep slope terrain and hot conditions of the day, Concialdi said.

The community of Holy Jim is currently under voluntary evacuation, according to official reports, which could affect 40 to 100 people who live or recreate in that remote community.

Current road closures include Trabuco Creek Road, Bedford Road and the North Main Divide from Bedford to Long Canyon Road.

Helicopters have been spotted collecting water from Rancho Santa Margarita lake, and captured on Twitter by a grateful public, including the City of Rancho Santa Margarita.

A Twitter follower with a unique perspective offered this timeline footage of the smoke cloud throughout the course of the day.

The multi-jurisdictional wildland fire is being fought by firefighters from the OCFA, CALFIRE and US Forestry services.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.

As of 10:30 a.m. the Holy Jim Fire had reached 125 acres, according to the U.S. Cleveland National Forest Service, with the potential of reaching 500 acres. The smoke plume from the fire is visible across four counties: Orange County, Riverside County, San Bernardino and San Diego County, according to reader reports.

Voluntary evacuations are in place for the Trabuco Canyon and Holy Jim Canyon area, as of 10 a.m.

The predawn wildfire in the Cleveland National Forest was reported just after 4 a.m. Wednesday. This remote wildfire is accessible through the area known as "Holy Jim Canyon Road."

The Holy Jim fire is being fought and monitored by Orange County Fire Authority and the U.S. National Forest Service in a unified command. The fire is burning approximately three miles inside the canyon, according to OCFA Capt. Larry Kurtz.

The blaze grew to 20 acres by 8 a.m. The wildfire is burning up-slope on Cleveland National Forest land on Bell Ridge near Santiago Peak. It had grown to 30 acres as of 9 a.m.

No homes are threatened, according to the OCFA reports.

"The terrain is steep, but there are no evacuation orders or structures threatened," Kurtz said.

One firefighter injury was disclosed, and the firefighter needed to be airlifted off the line for medical attention.

Two helicopters are currently conducting water drops, and four air tankers will be joining the fight soon. Water sources for air assault come from reservoirs or lakes in the area.

"If need be, they can land at an empty field at the remote control airfield to be filled by a water tanker," Kurtz said.

Kurtz described the landscape of the fire as "scrub brush and light fuels" which are driving the fire.

"Occasional trees are torching," he said, "but this is a slope-driven fire."

The rate of spread for a slope-driven wildfire is slower than a wind-driven fire event, which is good news, according to Kurtz.

"Seventy OCFA firefighter crew and US Forest Service firefighters are on scene," Kurtz said.

There is no word yet as to the cause of the fire.

The public line is open at the Trabuco District. Fire and community questions can be directed to 951-736-1811.

This report will be updated. Please refresh this page for the latest information.

Image courtesy of Orange County Fire Authority, Cleveland National Forest Service