A brush fire erupted Thursday on a hillside just west of Lake Elsinore, scorching roughly 60 acres within an hour and threatening homes abutting the Cleveland National Forest.
The non-injury Macy Fire was reported at 5:42 p.m. in the vicinity of the El Cariso Campground, north of the Ortega (74) Highway, just west of Macy Street on the west end of Lake Elsinore, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said multiple engine and hand crews from the county and U.S. Forest Service were sent to the location and encountered flames running downhill at a “dangerous rate of spread,” heading directly toward residences alongside the federal preserve.
Four Cal Fire air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters immediately began runs on the fire, making drops for the protection of homes in the fire’s path, according to reports from the scene.
As of 6:30 p.m., the flames had slowed due to the air work, but an evacuation order was issued for all properties south of Grand Avenue, east of Fairview Street and west of the Ortega Highway.
Firefighter strike teams were deploying from the highway into the burn zone.
California Highway Patrol officers were requested to shut down the Ortega Highway in both directions between San Juan Capistrano and Lake Elsinore.
With nightfall approaching, the sundowner winds in the area were expected to abate, giving crews an opportunity to begin digging containment lines.
There was no immediate word regarding how the blaze might have started.