Santa Ana winds, nicknamed for the Southern California mountain range, are seasonal hot and dry winds that develop when air flows from east to west - something it’s prone to do there in the fall and winter.Īs air travels from the high elevation of the mountains down to sea level, it is compressed by higher pressure, which heats it up and dries it out. Winds gusted over 50 mph near the fire, driven by a Santa Ana event which began over the weekend across parts of Southern California.

Once fires form, gusty winds cause these fires to spread quickly and even blow their embers into the distance to start additional fires. When relative humidity decreases, fires are easily triggered and sustained. Relative humidity – a measure of how much moisture is in the air – was very low on Monday: around 5% to 15%, according to a forecast discussion from the National Weather Service in San Diego. Wildfires are dealing a massive blow to US real estate and homeownership, congressional report finds The McBride Fire burns in the heart of the village in Ruidoso, New Mexico, United States, April 12, 2022. The cause of the fire is under investigation. These winds will continue to challenge firefighters and could further increase the size of the fire.Īt least 310 firefighters from 49 engine companies were responding to the fire as of Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire. Sustained wind speeds of 20 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph are forecast in and around the area of the Highland Fire on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The evacuation orders and warnings – the latter of which are meant to warn residents to prepare for an evacuation order – are still active. Another 1,700 people have been warned that they might also have to evacuate. More than 1,100 homes have been evacuated in the area of the fire, affecting approximately 4,000 people, Riverside Fire spokesperson Maggie Cline De La Rosa told CNN. It has destroyed at least three structures and damaged six others.Įvacuation orders were first issued Monday afternoon but were quickly expanded Monday evening and then again on Tuesday morning. Just seven hours later, the fire had grown to more than 1,200 acres, according to Cal Fire.Īs of early Tuesday morning, the Highland Fire had charred 2,200 acres and was 0% contained, Cal Fire reported. PDT, near Aguanga, California, it was only 14 acres in size. When the fire – dubbed the Highland Fire – was first reported Monday at 12:37 p.m. Some 370 homes were destroyed in a single subdivision just west of the town of Superior, while another 210 homes may have been lost in Old Town Superior, the Boulder County sheriff said Thursday.Īn investigation into the fire is ongoing, the release said.A vegetation fire in California’s Riverside County exploded in size as it was stoked by hot and dry Santa Ana winds, scorching multiple structures and forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. The wildfire began Thursday morning and swallowed at least 1,600 acres in a matter of hours, prompting orders for people across two communities to evacuate. Typically, communications lines (telephone, cable, internet, etc.) would not be the cause of a fire,' the release added.

'They did find some compromised communication lines that may have been misidentified as power lines. At this point, they have inspected all of their lines within the ignition area and found no downed power lines,' Boulder OEM said in a news release. 'Xcel Energy has been a very responsive and invaluable partner. However, according to the Boulder Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Xcel Energy 'found no downed power lines.' As wildfire swept through communities in Colorado, initial reports of the fire were from residents who claimed to have seen downed power lines in or near the ignition area.

Fire update