Holy Fire (2018)

Last updated

Holy Fire
Part of the 2018 California wildfires
Holy Fire from Mission Viejo.jpg
Smoke at sunset from the Holy Fire, as seen in Mission Viejo, on August 9, 2018
Date(s)
  • August 6, 2018 (2018-08-06) –
  • September 13, 2018 (2018-09-13)
Location Cleveland National Forest, Orange and Riverside Counties, California
Coordinates 33°40′44″N117°31′00″W / 33.67889°N 117.51667°W / 33.67889; -117.51667
Statistics [1] [2]
Burned area23,136 acres (9,363 ha) [1] [3]
Impacts
DeathsNone reported
Non-fatal injuries3 firefighters [4]
Structures destroyed18
Damage>$25.7 million (2018 USD) [5]
Ignition
Cause Arson [6]
Perpetrator(s)Unknown (1 suspect acquitted by jury) [6] [7]
MotiveUnknown
Map
USA California location map.svg
FireIcon.svg

The Holy Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Cleveland National Forest in Orange and Riverside Counties, California. The wildfire started on August 6, 2018, at around 1:15 PM PDT, in the vicinity of Trabuco Canyon. [8] [9] A suspected arsonist was booked into the Orange County jail in Santa Ana, California [10] but found not guilty in 2023. [7] The blaze burned 23,136 acres (94 km2) [1] [3] [6] and destroyed 18 buildings, [1] before it was fully contained on September 13, 2018. [1] [11] While the fire was actively spreading in early and mid-August, residents of the nearby cities of Corona, Temescal Valley, and Lake Elsinore were placed under evacuation orders. [12]

Contents

Progression

The Holy Fire was first reported at 1:15 PM PST on Monday, August 6, 2018, in Holy Jim Canyon (from which the fire derives its name), [13] [8] a community of about 40 homes and cabins in the Trabuco Canyon area of the Santa Ana Mountains. [14] Evacuation orders were issued for parts of Trabuco Canyon, including the entire community of Holy Jim. Trabuco Creek Road was subsequently closed at Trabuco Canyon Road indefinitely as the Orange County Sheriff Department continues their investigation. It quickly moved uphill in a northeast direction, jumping the crest of the Santa Ana Mountains into neighboring Riverside County, threatening the areas of Corona, El Cerrito, and Glen Ivy Hot Springs. At the time, the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Effects

By August 8, thirteen cabins had been destroyed in Holy Jim (sic - impacted cabins are in Trabuco). [15] No major injuries were reported. [16] By August 10, one home along Ortega Highway had also been destroyed, the only confirmed home in Riverside County at that time. By August 13, the Holy Fire had destroyed a total of 18 structures in both Orange and Riverside Counties. [1]

Evacuation areas

On August 13, the neighborhoods under mandatory evacuation included: [17] [18] [19] [20]

As of August 13, neighborhoods under voluntary evacuation included:

Criminal investigation

A 51-year old man was suspected by of starting the fire; [21] he stated he was asleep at the time the fire started [22] and his bail was set for $1 million. [10] He plead not guilty in December 2018 [23] and, in June 2023, was found not guilty of all arson charges. [24]

Growth and containment

Growth and Containment

Fire containment status
Gray: contained; Red: active; %: percent contained;
DateAcres burned (ha)ContainmentGrowth (%)
Aug 74,000 (1,600)
0%
N/A
Aug 86,200 (2,500)
0%
+55%
Aug 910,236 (4,142)
5%
+65.1%
Aug 1019,107 (7,732)
10%
+86.6%
Aug 1121,473 (8,690)
29%
+12.4%
Aug 1322,714 (9,192)
52%
+5.7%
Aug 1422,986 (9,302)
59%
+1.2%
Aug 1522,986 (9,302)
78%
+0%
Aug 1622,986 (9,302)
82%
+0%
Aug 1822,986 (9,302)
91%
+0%
Aug 2422,986 (9,302)
95%
+0%
Aug 2622,986 (9,363)
100%
+0%
Aug 2723,136 (9,363)
94%
+0.6%
Sep 1323,136 (9,363)
100%
+0%

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Holy Fire". Cleveland National Forest. September 14, 2018. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Holy Fire". CAL FIRE. August 26, 2018. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Holy Fire Reignites, Burns 150 Acres". CBS Los Angeles. August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  4. ↑ Ruben Vives; Laura J. Nelson; Doug Smith (August 12, 2018). "Firefighters gain upper hand on 22,700-acre Holy fire in Cleveland National Forest, as containment rises to 41%". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  5. ↑ "2018 National Large Incident Year-to-Date Report" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. September 17, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 Faith Karimi and Eliott C. McLaughlin (August 10, 2018). "'The place is going to burn,' arson suspect allegedly texted before Holy Fire". CNN.
  7. 1 2 Emery, Sean (February 10, 2021). "Judge declines to reduce bail for man accused of igniting massive Holy fire". The Orange County Register. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Holy Fire Now 92 Percent Contained". NBC Southern California. August 21, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  9. ↑ Grad, James Queally, Joseph Serna, Alene Tchekmedyian, Shelby (August 6, 2018). "Firefighters battle 4,000-acre brush fire in Orange County amid extreme heat". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 9, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. 1 2 "Holy Fire: Suspect arrested in connection to blaze". ABC 7 Los Angeles . August 8, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  11. ↑ Brian Rokos (September 14, 2018). "Holy fire in Riverside and Orange counties is 100 percent contained". Press Enterprise. The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Holy Fire more than 9,600 acres near Lake Elsinore-Corona area". ABC7 Los Angeles. August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Who was Holy Jim, anyway?". August 8, 2018. Retrieved August 22, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Holy fire spreads to 4,000 acres in Orange, Riverside counties". The Mercury News. August 7, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  15. ↑ Haire, Chris (August 8, 2018). "Holy Jim, devastated by fire, faces specter of vanishing forever". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Holy Fire chars 9,600 acres near Lake Elsinore-Corona area". ABC7 Los Angeles. August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  17. ↑ Marc Cota-Robles. "Holy Fire explodes to 18,137 acres in Lake Elsinore area". ABC7.
  18. ↑ "What to Know: Holy Fire Evacuations, Road Closures". August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  19. ↑ Salvo, Christina (August 13, 2018). "Holy Fire containment rises to 52 percent in Riverside County". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  20. 1 2 De Atley, Richard; Shultz, Craig; Saavedra, Tony (August 12, 2018). "Firefighters get a handle on the Holy fire, containment jumps to 51%". Orange County Register. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  21. ↑ "More are August 2018".
  22. ↑ "Man charged with arson in California 'Holy Fire'". WGN9. August 9, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Judge drops two counts against Holy Fire suspect Forrest Gordon Clark in ongoing hearing". Desert Sun. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  24. ↑ Emery, Sean (June 1, 2023). "Man acquitted of igniting massive Holy fire" https://www.ocregister.com/2023/06/01/man-acquitted-of-igniting-massive-holy-fire/. The Orange County Register. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
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