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Officials say the Apple Fire has now scorched an estimated 26,450 acres in Riverside County and remains at 5% containment.
It broke out Friday in the Cherry Valley area, burning into the San Bernardino National Forest.
Lisa Cox, the forest's fire information officer, said she saw the pyrocumulus clouds over the weekend and knew it was bad. "My stomach just dropped."
Cal Fire Captain Chris Bruno says the fire had a lot of potential to grow. Hot temperatures, low humidity and dry vegetation mean the area is "primed for the wildland fires."
"When a wildland fire is burning in a certain area, it'll preheat that area that it's about ready to consume, and then that increases the rate of spread on the incident," he said.
The blaze is now one of the largest so far this year for Southern California, according to Bruno.
Here's Kate Kramer, public information officer with the U.S. Forest Service:
“Because of where it’s burning and the kind of terrain it’s burning in — very steep slopes that are pretty difficult to get to — that’s what makes this fire kind of special and ... pretty dangerous."
Thousands of residents have been asked to evacuate their homes in both Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
So far, one home and two outbuildings have been confirmed destroyed.
THE BASICS
EVACUATIONS
ROAD CLOSURES
At the following intersections:
OTHER CLOSURES
READ MORE ABOUT THE FIRE
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