Wildfire — Riverside County Mountains, California

2013-08-07 to 2013-08-12 · Riverside County Mountains, California

Wider weather episode

The Silver Fire started due to lightning around 1305 PST on the 7th, along Poppet Flats Road near Hwy 243, south of Banning in Riverside County, with a critical rate of spread. Strong Banning pass breezes forced extreme growth according to fire personnel and smoke reduced visibility into Palm Springs on the first day. Mandatory evacuations for the communities of Poppet Flats, Twin Pines and Silent Valley. Evacuation warnings/voluntary were also issued for Diamond Zen Center, Pine Cove & Camp Azalea. Residents were instructed to evacuate through Hwy 243, south through Hwy 74 in Idyllwild to Hemet. Forty-seven people from the Twin Pines Ranch (Boys Youth Camp) were escorted down the mountain. The fire eventually split into two directions, moving into Poppet Flats, Silent Valley Club, Twin Pines and Cabazon, prompting mandatory evacuations to be expanded to the lower Cabazon area-Peach Street, Plum Street, Eucalyptus Street, and Riza Avenue, Ida Avenue, Helen Avenue East to Elm Street. Repeater sites, containing equipment for Department of Transportation, Department of Parks and Recreation, Cal Fire, CHP and Riverside County Fire, at Mt. Edna and Vista Grande were in the path of the fire. Black Mountain was evacuated and closed as a precaution. Boulder Basin and Black Mountain campgrounds on Black Mountain road were closed through august 15th. Highway 243 was closed from 10.3 miles west to 1.5 miles west of Banning. 537 residences were threatened, 2 damaged and 26 destroyed, along with one commercial building and 21 outbuildings. Injuries to 12 firefighters and one civilian were reported. The fire burned 20,292 acres before being fully contained around 1840 PST on the 12th. This fire also had high media coverage, including national.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 473532. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.