últimas notícias

Fire crews are struggling to contain the deadly Fairview Fire in Hemet which expanded to 5,000 acres as of Wednesday morning, officials said. Containment remains at just 5%.

Overnight video showed a wild scene as the intense flames at one point burst into a fire whirl.

The fire, which officials said has the potential to burn 7,000 acres, started Monday afternoon near Fairview Avenue and Bautista Canyon Road.

Two people who tried to escape the fire on Monday were found dead inside their vehicle, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Brandi Swan said.

“The identifies of those individuals cannot be released at this time because they cannot be positively identified based upon the condition in which they were found,” Swan said during a Wednesday morning news conference.

A third victim, described only as an adult female, was found outside the vehicle with severe burns. She was transported to a hospital and is expected to survive.

Officials believe all three victims were related.

At least seven structures have already been destroyed by the fire but that total is expected to rise.

Mandatory evacuations remained in place for approximately 3,400 homes in the areas south of Stetson Avenue, north of Cactus Valley Road, west of Bautista Canyon and east of State Street.

Click here for an interactive evacuations map

Residents in about 50 homes near the fire have been asked to boil water over concerns that it may be unsafe to drink. Officials planned to retest the water on Wednesday.

An evacuation center was established at Tahquitz High School located at 4425 Titan Trail in Hemet.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Southern California Edison reported circuit activity at about the time the first flames were spotted but it is still unclear if the utility’s equipment played a role in sparking the blaze.