Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Falls Fire: Evacuations lifted; 4 firefighters injured (updated)
Listen
• 0:45
Flames from the Falls Fire in Riverside rise above a mountain on Aug. 5, 2013.
(
NBC4/Jacob Rascon
)
Update 6:39 p.m.: Evacuations lifted, 74 open
Evacuations have been lifted for the communities of Decker Canyon and Lakeland Village, according to Cal Fire.
The agency says residents returning home along Highway 74 will be able to do so only with an escort by California Highway Patrol.
Update 6:09 p.m.: Firefighters make progress against Falls Fire near Lake Elsinore
Support for LAist comes from
More than a thousand firefighters continue to battle a wildfire in the Cleveland National Forest near Lake Elsinore.
The Falls Fire has burned around 1,400 acres since it started Monday. It's still 20 percent contained.
Fire spokesman Marc Peebles says crews have made some progress — but there's still a lot of work ahead.
"They've been mopping up hot spots," Peebles said. "They've been constructing hand-lines, improving existing hand-line that was put in last night. It's been very warm this afternoon. They've been working in very steep, rugged terrain with a lot of heavy fuels."
Peebles said crews will continue work on increasing containment lines overnight.
Evacuations remain in effect for the Decker Canyon community.
— Bianca Ramirez
Support for LAist comes from
Update 10:55 a.m.: 4 firefighters sustained minor injuries
Four firefighters have been hurt and two outbuildings damaged so far in a wildfire that took off yesterday in the Cleveland National Forest near Lake Elsinore.
The firefighters received only minor heat-related injuries and were treated and released.
The Falls fire has burned 1,416 acres so far and is 20 percent contained.
U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Vickie Wright said air and ground crews are making progress surrounding the fire.
"They're trying to establish some pretty strong fire lines. We do have winds that will be starting up. Lake Elsinore is famous for these thermals that come in in the late afternoon so we're trying to get a head start," Wright said.
Full containment was estimated for Friday.
Support for LAist comes from
9:00 a.m.: A brush fire in the Cleveland National Forest near Lake Elsinore has spread to more than 1,400 acres and is threatening some homes.
The Falls fire has forced the closure of a highway connecting Riverside and Orange counties.
STATS, CLOSURES, UPDATES: For full details, visit our Fire Tracker
The U.S. Forest Service says the wildfire started in the Decker Canyon area Monday, forcing a mandatory evacuation order for 50 homes.
A few hours later, fire officials ordered people in the Rancho Capistrano neighborhood to leave.
An earlier evacuation for Lakeland Village was lifted. Evacuations are still in effect for Decker Canyon.
Support for LAist comes from
Crews have the fire 20 percent contained.
The fire was first reported about five miles west of Lake Elsinore and just south of 74 Highway.
Flames have reached Ortega Highway, forcing the California Highway Patrol to shut down the route from Lake Elsinore west to Antonio Parkway, just outside San Juan Capistrano.
The Forest Service, Riverside County Fire Department and Cal Fire crews are working the fire.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist