A destructive brush fire swept through a Riverside County neighborhood on Sunday, causing significant damage and prompting evacuation orders. The Hawarden Fire, first reported just after 1 p.m. off Hawarden Drive, quickly spread due to the area’s topography and the intense heat. By early Monday morning, the fire was estimated at 527 acres with 20% containment.
The fire’s rapid spread led to challenging conditions for firefighters. “The topography of the area allowed for rapid fire spread, so getting resources in the area fast enough proved challenging because the fire was moving faster than we could catch up initially,” said Riverside Fire Department Deputy Chief Steve McKinster during a Monday morning press conference.
The blaze resulted in the destruction of at least three homes and damage to four other structures. Residents, like Fariba Jafary, faced a sudden and frightening situation. “Tears, hysteria, then … ‘Pull yourself together. You can only do what you can do,’” Jafary recalled thinking as the fire erupted. “Everyone’s ok. You have what you need. Then … just protect your home and that’s it. It’s all you can do, but the most important thing is your family, the things you have that are precious to you. We got everything we needed to get out of there. It’s going to be ok, no matter what.”
Evacuation orders were issued, but were lifted Monday morning. However, the work isn’t over. McKinster stated that hot spots still need to be extinguished. “That’s what we’ll be focusing on,” he said. “We’re well prepared, have enough resources, 21 fire engines, two hand crews, to help us mitigate any issues that we have.”
Meanwhile, another fire, the Eagle Fire, was reported around 2 p.m. Sunday to the east of Corona. It started in the area near Eagle Canyon and Cajalco roads and by late Monday morning, had burned 1,609 acres with 65% containment. The evacuation warnings for the Eagle Fire were also lifted.
A smaller blaze, the Saddle Fire, was reported in the morning on Empty Saddle Trail in Riverside County but was contained at under 3 acres. Another fire, called the Blue Fire, was burning in the San Bernardino National Forest around 2:30 p.m. Sunday at about 5 acres.
