An evacuation is underway in California as a brush fire rages in the Santa Ana River bottom. The fire currently measures 150 acres, though firefighters are estimating that it has the potential to reach 1,000 acres thanks to the dry brush in the area.
As far-left radical environmentalists have slowly taken over California, the state has failed miserably at fire mitigation. Without the typical practice of removing dry, dead brush from areas with the potential to catch fire, it is more likely for a wildfire to occur, and it is more difficult to put the fire out. This is obviously the case in this instance.
The fire was initially estimated to be about three acres, but it quickly grew to 150 acres by the late afternoon. Evacuation orders have been issued for parts of the Jurupa Valley, near where the fire began in the area of Lakeview Avenue and Pedley Road. Since the initial orders were given, the area that was impacted by them has expanded.
ABC 7 News reports:
“Evacuation orders were issued in the early stages of the fire, and then downgraded to warnings later in the afternoon. But by 4 p.m., fire authorities again upgraded them to orders and expanded the area that was impacted. The evacuation orders were in place for residents south of Limonite Avenue to the river bottom, east of Downey Street and west of Avenue Juan Diaz. That evacuation zone includes Indian Hills elementary school and the Jurupa Hills Country Club, as well as a church and shopping complex.”
An evacuation center has been established at Patriot High School in Jurupa Valley. A map of the areas impacted by the evacuation warning and order can be found here.
As of May 24 at approximately 7 p.m., containment of the fire was estimated at 5%. Crews are currently using two water-dropping helicopters to slow the progress of the fire. No injuries have been reported thus far.
