Southern California wildfire threatens thousands of homes
Gov. Brown has declared a state of emergency in response to the Silver Fire.
At least 18,000 Riverside County residents were under mandatory evacuation Friday as Silver Fire south of Banning scorched 18,000 acres, forcing the closure of highway 243.
As of of about 4:30 P.M. PDT on Friday 8/9/2013 the blaze had grown to about 18,000 acres with only 25% containment.
Silver Fire has so far destroyed 26 homes, one commercial building and one outbuilding, and has damaged two other buildings near Banning. At least 5 fire crews and one civilian have been injured.
Evacuations
UPDATE 8/9/2013 5:00 P.M.: The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department/OES is lifting the evacuation order for the communities of Snow Creek, Cabazon, Mt. Edna, and Poppet Flats as of 6:00 pm on 08/08/2013.
Only local residents in these effected areas will be allowed to repopulate with an access pass until further notice. Access passes will be issued by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department starting at 6:00 pm on 08/08/2013. Residents must check in at the distribution center to receive an access pass.
The Riverside Sheriff’s Department will issue a resident an access pass which must be displayed in order to re-enter the evacuated areas. Proper identification will be required showing residency in the affected communities and must be shown at the distribution center. This includes but is not limited to: a California driver’s license/ID card, residency ID card or utility bill (plus photo ID). Special requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Evacuation orders for Twin Pines and Silent Valley R.V. Park remain closed due to safety concerns and the ongoing fire operations. [Riverside County Fire Department ]
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Silver Fire Incident Information
Last Updated: August 9, 2013 4:30 pm
Date/Time Started: August 7, 2013 2:05 pm
Total Fire Personnel: 2,106
Total Fire Engines: 201
Total Fire crews: 63
Total Helicopters: 8
Total Dozers: 16
Total Water Tenders: 18
Related Links
- Silver Fire Burns 14,000 Acres, Destroys 26 Homes August 9, 2013