Holy, Orange County

Holy, Cleveland NF. Seven miles northeast of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Chaparral and tall grass. No new information.

August 17, 2018 at 9:13 AM

Fire Crews continue to work on South of Anderson Canyon on the Northern fire edge and Bell Canyon toward the Southern edge. Using hand lines and helicopters to safely secure the fire line is a difficult and arduous task due to rugged terrain and heavy fuels in inaccessible areas. Fire Suppression will continue in the areas of El Cariso, Santiago Peak and the Northern edge of Anderson Canyon while flare-ups and smoking vegetation are still visible. These conditions are within the fire area and will continuously be monitored throughout the incident.

The damage assessment team has completed its work and determined 12 single family residences were destroyed in Orange County and 6 single family residences were destroyed in Riverside County prior to August 13th.

Currently, there are Fire Suppression repair groups dispatched to the east and west sides of the fire. Their duties include identifying and repairing affected areas including roadways, drainage lines and cleaning up scattered brush used to block and discourage illegal OHV activity.

ROAD CLOSURES:
The Long Canyon Road loop will remain closed on the west above the entrance to Mystic Oaks and on the east on North Main Divide at Highway 74.

EVACUATIONS LIFTED:
All evacuations have been lifted.

FIRE CLOSURES:
All trails, recreational areas and campgrounds in the fire area are closed. This includes Blue Jay and Falcon Campgrounds, Holy Jim trails and Trabuco Canyon. Areas north of Ortega Hwy and south of Blackstar Canyon Rd/Skyline Drive remain closed.

August 16, 2018 at 6:56 AM

Fire crews continue to make progress on containment lines around the Holy Fire. Fire suppression efforts are focused on holding and strengthening containment line within El Cariso, Santiago Peak, and the northern edge of Anderson Canyon. Please note that flare-ups and smoking vegetation may remain visible to the surrounding communities but are within the fire perimeter.

The damage assessment team has completed its work and determined 12 single family residences were destroyed in Orange County and 6 single family residences were destroyed in Riverside County prior to August 13th.

Fire suppression repair groups will be identifying and repairing affected areas along the east and west sides of the fire. This is done to reduce erosion potential and cleanup damaged areas. Suppression repair efforts will include returning existing road systems back to original, pre-fire condition, cleaning plugged drainage features, and scattering cut brush across dozer lines to block and discourage illegal OHV activity.

Crews will continue to secure the fires edge and mop up. Suppression repair will continue but additional overhead and equipment are needed to be successful. Team is working with the local unit to develop a plan to transition to a type three organization on 8/18 at 1800hrs.

All evacuations have been lifted.

August 14, 2018 at 8:44 PM

Evacuations have been lifted for El Cariso, repopulation in progress
Hwy 74 reopened today; except for North Main Drive off Hwy 74 remains closed
South Trilogy is still under voluntary evacuations
Threat to critical infrastructure

Effective Tuesday, August 14, 2018, mandatory evacuation for the Mystic Oaks community has been lifted.

The Long Canyon Road loop will remain closed on the west above the entrance to Mystic Oaks and on the east on North Main Divide at Highway 74.

Returning residents, please note that power is off in the Highway 74 corridor. Edison continues working diligently to restore power in the area.

All Forest Service facilities in the Highway 74 corridor remain closed: Blue Jay campground and Falcon campground and Los Pinos. All Forest Service Trails leading into the burn area are closed.

Holy Jim and Trabuco Canyon are subject to Forest Closure.

The community of Trilogy in Temescal Valley remains under voluntary evacuation.

Firefighters continue to work with heavy equipment in the area. The area still has active flare- ups and smoke. Please drive cautiously to keep our firefighters safe.

August 14, 2018 at 10:52 AM

ire suppression efforts are focused on strengthening the containment line and limiting the spread north beyond Coldwater Canyon. Line is in place along the southern fire perimeter, including Hwy 74. Crews have constructed containment line across Bell Canyon where possible on the southwest perimeter of the fire. Flare ups, hot spots, and smoking vegetation is still an issue within the El Cariso Village area but a containment line is in place.

Islands of unburned vegetation within the fire perimeter will continue to be visible from surrounding communities. Smoke and poor air quality will continue to be a factor.

The damage assessment team has completed a partial assessment and determined 12 single family residences were destroyed in Orange County and 6 single family residences were destroyed in Riverside County. Structure assessments continue in the affected areas.

Limited access, extreme temperatures, steep topography, old-growth vegetation, and limited resources were all factors in the spread of the fire. These conditions contributed to one of the largest non-wind driven fires on the Trabuco Ranger District. The last non-wind driven fire was the Indians Fire in 1966.

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS REMAIN FOR:

Holy Jim, Trabuco Canyon recreation residence tracts, Blue Jay, Falcon Campgrounds, and Mystic Oaks Community near Long Canyon Road.

EVACUATIONS LIFTED:

Horsethief, Glen Eden, Riverside, Machado, Shoreline, Sycamore Creek, McVicker, Rice Canyon, El Cariso Village, and Rancho Capistrano.

VOLUNTARY EVACUATION:

Trilogy Community

Evacuation center:

•Riverside: Temescal Canyon High School, 28755 El Toro Rd Lake Elsinore CA 92532 for residents.

FIRE CLOSURES:

All trails, recreational areas and campgrounds in the fire area are closed. Areas north of Ortega Hwy and south of Blackstar Canyon Rd/Skyline Drive remain closed. Hot Springs Road will remain closed.

August 13, 2018 at 8:51 AM

Crews were able to go direct at the fire and make good progress.

Structural defense continues in areas threatened by fire. Hand crews with the assistance of dozers will continue to build fire line to the north and east from the point of origin.

Islands of unburned fuel will continue to burn in the North foothills. Air support will continue to assist fire crews in the Bell Canyon area.

August 12, 2018 at 9:01 AM

Effective Saturday, August 12, 2018, mandatory evacuations have been lifted for the Sycamore Creek community.

DePalma Road – Campbell Ranch Road has been opened. Glen Eden Road is closed at DePalma Road. Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for Glen Eden, Riverside, El Cariso, Blue Jay and Rancho Capistrano.

August 11, 2018 at 8:29 AM

Evacuations have now been lifted ONLY for the Horsethief, McVicker and Rice areas with Mountain St at Avocado Way closed at pavement in Lake Elsinore

ROAD CLOSURE: DePalma at Horsethief Cyn, at Indian Truck Trail, Campbell Rd at Temescal Cyn

August 10, 2018 at 9:47 PM

The fire remained active today and is currently estimated at 19,107 acres and containment increased to 10%. The combination of air resources, dozers and fire crews made great progress along the fire edge to control the fire spread and provide structure protection. Containment lines have been strengthened on the northwest side of the fire in Coldwater Canyon, north of the North Main Divide Road. Air resources continue to drop fire retardant around structures to create a fire break while firefighters work to strengthen lines east and southeast of the fire. A dozer line has been constructed around El Cariso Village to keep fire from entering the community.

Steep terrain, dry fuels, and inaccessible areas continue to be a factor in fire spread. Expected high temperatures, low humidity and easterly monsoonal moisture aloft will continue through tomorrow and gradually decrease through the weekend. This weather pattern could result in critical fire behavior and large column development. Air quality in the surrounding areas may be impacted.

Suppression efforts remain focused on community defense, and limiting the spread south towards Hwy 74. Firefighting efforts will continue overnight with 2 night flying helicopters and multiple ground crews. Currently, a total of 5 firefighting personnel have been confirmed injured.

A damage assessment team began assessments this afternoon. The number of structures burned remains at 12. More than 20,000 people have been placed under mandatory evacuations with others under evacuation warning. Residents are asked to evacuate as early as possible so as not to hinder firefighting operations.

August 10, 2018 at 1:16 PM

The fire remained active yesterday and is currently estimated at 18,137 acres with 5% containment. Containment lines continue to be constructed and developed around the fire utilizing both air and ground resources.High temperatures with low humidity is expected over the next several days, which may hinder firefighting efforts. One firefighter was reported injured yesterday.

Extreme fire behavior was observed to the north and east portions of the fire. Steep terrain, dry fuels, and inaccessible areas continue to be a factor in fire spread. Suppression efforts are focused on community defense, and limiting the spread south towards Hwy 74.

The number of structures burned remains 12. Structure assessments will be conducted today in the affected areas. More than 20,000 people have been placed under mandatory evacuations with numerous others under evacuations warning. Residents are asked to evacuate as early as possible so as not to hinder firefighting operations.

EVACUATIONS:

Lake Elsinore: Mandatory Evacuations for all homes on the mountainside of Lake St and southwest of Grand Ave to the Ortega Highway.

Voluntary evacuations are in effect for the Shoreline community

Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for:

• Holy Jim, Trabuco Canyon Recreation Residence Tracts, Blue Jay and Falcon Campgrounds, McVicker Canyon, Rice Canyon, El Cariso Village, Rancho Capistrano, Horsethief Canyon, Glen Eden Canyon, and Sycamore Creek. Road closures will continue until evacuation orders are lifted.

There are two evacuation centers open for residents in both Orange and Riverside Counties.

• Riverside: Temescal Canyon High School, 28755 El Toro Rd Lake Elsinore CA 92532 for residents.
• Orange County: San Juan Hills High School located at 29211 Stallion Ridge, San Juan Capistrano.

August 10, 2018 at 8:03 AM

Extreme fire behavior with running, group torching and short-range spotting
Continued structure threat
Mandatory evacuation orders for Mayhew/Sycamore Creek, Glen Eden, Horsethief, Rice Canyon, Rice Lake, McVickers, Machado, South El Cariso, Riverside and Shoreline Zones
Hwy 74 remains closed in both directions
Threat to critical infrastructure

August 9, 2018 at 10:31 PM

The fire was active on the eastern side and moved downslope to the I-15 corridor in several canyons. Fire activity remained active north and southwest of the El Cariso Village. No new structures have been reported lost or damaged. Air tankers returned to base when visibility was too poor to fly, but returned once skies cleared. The night shift crews continue to construct and strengthen line to protect neighborhoods. Resources continue to arrive, bringing total personnel to 1206.

EVACUATIONS:

NEW EVACUATIONS Lake Elsinore: Mandatory Evacuations for all homes on the mountainside of Lake St and southwest of Grand Ave to the Ortega Highway.

Voluntary evacuations are in effect for the Shoreline community

Mandatory evacuations remain in effect for:

Holy Jim, Trabuco Canyon Recreation Residence Tracts, Blue Jay and Falcon Campgrounds, McVicker Canyon, Rice Canyon, El Cariso Village, Rancho Capistrano, Horsethief Canyon, Glen Eden Canyon, and Sycamore Creek. Road closures will continue until evacuation orders are lifted.

There are two evacuation centers open for residents in both Orange and Riverside Counties.

Riverside: Temescal Canyon High School, 28755 El Toro Rd Lake Elsinore CA 92532 for residents.

Orange County: San Juan Hills High School located at 29211 Stallion Ridge, San Juan Capistrano.

August 9, 2018 at 1:05 PM

Excessive heat warning for the fire area has been issued. Weather conditions with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees coupled with a relative humidity below 15% will provide conditions for extreme fire behavior as well as heat illness issues for the fire fighters and the public. Hot and dry conditions will continue through Thursday over the fire area. Monsoonal moisture coupled with an approaching eastern hurricane will increase instability and bring scattered thunderstorms to portions of Southeast California on Thursday. This combination will result in a period of near critical fire weather over the Holy Fire.

Fire will continue to spread south, east and north with only limited spread to the west. Steep inaccessible terrain will continue to allow the fire to spread into new areas, and aligning for strong head-fire runs and the potential for an “Elsinore” down slope event.

The atmosphere over the fire continues to be very unstable and will allow for large smoke column development and active to extreme fire behavior.

August 8, 2018 at 10:33 PM

Fire activity increased today reaching 6200 acres and remaining at 5% containment. It continues to burn north of North Main Divide Road towards Santiago Peak where fire retardant was dropped to protect the large communication towers. Towards the east, the fire is burning in the lower portion of Horsethief Canyon, Rice Canyon and McVicker Drainage. Fire is approaching communities on the southern end of Leach Canyon towards El Cariso Village.

Crews are working overnight to build contingency lines on the northwest side from North Main Divide Road to Coldwater Canyon. Along the south east side, firefighters will work to strengthen lines around the North Main Divide Road to protect structures in nearby communities. Air resources will conduct night operations to assist ground crews.

The incident has issued mandatory evacuation notices for Mayhew/Sycamore Creek, Glen Eden, Horsethief, Rice Canyon, Rice Lake, McVicker, and South El Cariso. The evacuation area covers 7,053 homes and 20,495 people.

There are hard road closures for the areas under evacuation order. Until these closures are lifted, residents are not permitted back to check on or get small animals.

After completing a structure assessment in the Holy Jim community, there are 12 confirmed structures lost during the initial attack phase of the fire.

The incident is now in unified command with US Forest Service, CAL Fire, Riverside County Fire, Orange County Fire Authority, and the California Highway Patrol.

A care and reception center is available at Temescal Canyon High School, 28755 El Toro Rd Lake Elsinore CA 92532 for residents. There is also an evacuation center at the San Juan Hills High School located at 29211 Stallion Ridge, San Juan Capistrano.

A joint information center has been established to provide information to the public and will be available around the clock.

An arrest has been made in relation to the Holy Fire. Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, was booked into Orange County Jail on August 8, 2018, on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, one count of felony threat to terrorize, and one count of misdemeanor resisting arrest. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail and is set to be arraigned on August 9, 2018.

August 8, 2018 at 4:48 PM

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS FOR: Mcvickers, Rice Canyon, Horsethief, Glen Eden, El Cariso Village, Sycamore and Rancho Capistrano.

August 8, 2018 at 3:16 PM

The fire grew overnight to 4,129 acres, with containment at 5%. Damage assessment has confirmed a total of 12 structures have been destroyed. It continues to burn towards Horsethief Canyon, Cow Canyon, and McVicker Drainage. There is a possibility of monsoonal flow today which may contribute to an increase in relative humidity and cool temperatures slightly which may help fire fighters. With the cumulus buildup over the fire, fire fighters will be watching for the possibility of local wind disruption which may affect fire behavior.

Excessive heat warning for the fire area has been issued. Weather conditions with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and relative humidity below 15% will provide conditions for extreme fire behavior as well as heat illness issues for the fire fighters.

Air resources will continue to drop water and fire retardant to assist firefighting efforts on the ground. Helicopters will support fire fighters in Holy Jim Canyon, and southern and eastern flanks.

MANDATORY EVACUATION NOTICE

All residents in the following communities are under mandatory evacuation: Painted Hills, McVicker Canyon, Rice Canyon, Horsethief Canyon, El Cariso, Rancho Capistrano, Blue Jay, Indian Canyon, Glen Eden, Sycamore Creek and Mayhew Canyon.

Highway 74 eastbound is closed. Residents in the Highway 74 corridor must travel westbound only.

August 7, 2018 at 9:03 AM

The Holy fire was first report at 1:21PM on August 6 in Holy Jim Canyon, the west side of the Santa Mountains in Orange County. After the initial size-up, it was determined the fire was higher up in Trabuco Canyon. The fire spread quickly with high temperatures in the steep terrain. Orange County Fire Authority first responded with Cleveland National Forest firefighters arriving soon afterwards. The fire has grown to nearly 4,000 acres although this acreage may change with more accurate mapping.

SoCal Team 1, an Type 2 incident management team, will be managing the fire beginning 0600 on Tuesday.

August 6, 2018 at 9:31 PM

The Holy Fire is currently 4000 acres in size with 0% containment. We have more than 600 firefighters working on the fire from the ground as well as the air. The fire is burning in mainly chaparral that is dense. Firefighters are working hard with the aid of retardant drops to hold the fire on the North Main Divide ridge.

Evacuations
Holy Jim and Trabuco Canyon Recreation Residents have been evacuated as well as the Blue Jay and El Cariso campgrounds.

Road Closures
Indian Truck Trail, Bedford, North Main and Maple Springs roads are closed at this time.