The Airport Fire, which broke out Monday in Orange County's Trabuco Canyon, has gained momentum. On Wednesday, the fire remained out of control as it moved toward Riverside County, scorching tens of thousands of acres and burning homes.
Although fire officials did not have specific numbers of structures burned, they told The Times that several homes had been affected.
Joel Pavelka, who lives in the small mountain town of El Cariso, was trying to remain optimistic.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed, we’re OK for now,” Pavelka said as he watched smoke rise over the Santa Ana Mountains near where he has lived for 20 years.
The small, close-knit Riverside County community sits in the heart of the Cleveland National Forest, where there are campgrounds and trails that wind through the scenic mountainside. To the west lies the Pacific Ocean and to the east is Lake Elsinore. Over the years, wildfires have burned through the mountains.
On Wednesday afternoon at the Lake Elsinore market, as the sun began to set, the silhouettes of helicopters could be seen dumping water from the nearby lake.
Pavelka and a small group of evacuees had been camped out for more than a day, watching the winds fan hot spots near their homes and receiving reports from neighbors who had stayed behind. Smoke filled the air and the glow from the fire turned the landscape a hazy orange.
The Airport Fire was started unintentionally by a spark ignited by heavy machinery moving rocks in the foothills of Trabuco Canyon. Since Monday, it has burned more than 20,000 acres, with 0% containment, while two other major fires were burning in San Bernardino County and the Angeles National Forest.
More than 5,000 homes were under evacuation orders in Riverside County, affecting more than 19,000 residents, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Division Chief Todd Hopkins said at a news conference Wednesday.
At the market, evacuees sat on folding chairs outside a caravan.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Barbara,” said a man passing by the group.
Barbara Shea-Han, owner of the Lookout Roadhouse restaurant on Ortega Highway in Lake Elsinore, is well-known in the area. She said her home and restaurant were still standing, but many of her neighbors had not been so lucky.
“It’s horrible. My house burned down” many years ago, she said. “I know exactly how they feel. It’s debilitating.”
Shea-Han had gone out to run errands in the mountains of Irvine on Tuesday morning. When he returned, the Ortega Highway, the only route to his home, was closed. He joined a news crew to return to the community.
“If you look at the vegetation, it looks like a moonscape with trees. All you see are rocks and dirt,” he said. “It will be weeks before we can reopen the restaurant.”
And maybe days before they can sleep in their beds.
