Fire could reach Riverside County today

By: JOHN HALL - Staff Writer
Santiago fire in Orange County heading toward Corona or Lake Elsinore | Thursday, October 25, 2007 10:44 PM PDT ∞

An intentionally set fire that has destroyed 14 homes and burned 26,000 acres in Orange County is moving dangerously close to Riverside County and the areas of Lake Elsinore, Horsethief Canyon and Corona.

"Worst-case scenario, and that's if the winds pick up and they don't expect right now for that to happen, it is 12 hours from the county line," Jody Hagemann, spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said about 6 p.m. Thursday.

That would have the fire reaching the county sometime this morning. The best-case scenario, she added, is that it would take 72 hours before it crosses from Orange County, or sometime Sunday evening.

The 72-hour window is much more likely with the current weather conditions, CalFire spokeswoman Cheri Patterson said at 9 p.m. Thursday.

As of that time, the Santiago fire was about 2 1/2 miles from the Riverside County line and 5 1/2 miles from the closest neighborhoods, Patterson said, citing areas such as Glen Ivy Hot Springs and Trilogy.

But fire and county officials stressed that there were no evacuations needed, as some rumors reported.

Fire officials can't say exactly where the raging blaze will cross the county line, because that depends on how much of it firefighters can extinguish and the direction the remaining flames take.

CalFire firefighters and other officials were patrolling the entire north face of Ortega Mountain on the Riverside County side keeping watch on the county line, Hagemann said.

Thursday afternoon, the Santiago fire was ripping across the Cleveland National Forest.

One fire official in Orange County said it was traveling in a north-northeasterly direction. If that's the path it continues to take, it could cross into Riverside County between Glen Ivy Hot Springs and southern Corona.

"If the winds shift, that could easily change," Lynnette Round, spokeswoman for the Orange County Fire Authority, said of the fire's direction.

"We have a lot of resources on this fire and want to stop that fire," she said.

Numerous fire crews battled the blaze on the ground while four air tankers and three water-dropping helicopters attacked it from above Thursday.

To address concerns local residents may have and provide updated information, officials have scheduled a "town meeting" this afternoon in Corona.

The meeting will be at 4 p.m. at Temescal Valley Elementary School, 22950 Claystone Ave. in Corona and will be hosted by Riverside County Supervisors Bob Buster and John Tavaglione.

Lake Elsinore officials said they are gearing up, should the blaze approach the city.

"We have put our entire staff on standby to stay in communication should we need them," city spokesman Mark Dennis said. The city's emergency operation center has not yet been activated, but could be quickly if needed, he said.

"We are monitoring the Santiago fire very closely," Lake Elsinore City Manager Bob Brady said.

If and when evacuations will be needed depends on the weather, especially wind currents, and the fire's distance from properties, Brady said. A fire incident commander on the Riverside County side would decide whether people should leave their homes, he added.

Lake Elsinore does not have a "reverse 911" system to call residents in the city alerting them to an emergency.

"We will find the best way possible to get the needed information out to the public as quickly as possible," Dennis said.

He said city officials are in communication with the Lake Elsinore Unified School District to inquire about the possibility of using its automatic call system for parents as a way to notify many residents.

Potential evacuation shelter locations ---- should they become needed in and around Lake Elsinore ---- are being coordinated with the county's Office of Emergency Services, the school district and the American Red Cross, Dennis said.

The Santiago fire started Sunday night in the area of Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads and officials have confirmed it as an arson, saying they have found two separate ignition points.

Firefighters had a line around about 30 percent of the fire as of 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Numerous areas in the area between Highway 241 and the Riverside County line are under mandatory or voluntary evacuation.

Working with the Orange County Fire Authority on the arson investigation are the Orange County Sheriff's Department and agents from the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Laura Eimiller, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles office of the FBI, said agents are working with Orange County officials, who are in charge of the investigation.

"We have an evidence response team there and the fire is being treated as a crime scene," Eimiller said.

As of Thursday night, a reward of $250,000 was being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who started the fire.

Fire officials ask anyone with information to call the Fire Authority's arson tip line at (800) 540-8282.

Contact staff writer John Hall at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2628, or jhall@californian.com.

Town Meeting On Santiago fire

- Why: To address community concerns about the Santiago fire, which is expected to cross into Riverside County from Orange County

- When: 4 p.m. today

- Where: Temescal Valley Elementary School, 22950 Claystone Ave., Corona