Crews were working Friday to expand containment lines around a 145-acre wildfire in the Cleveland National Forest west of Lake Elsinore, where the threat to homes had been mitigated but a highway linking Orange and Riverside counties remained closed.
The non-injury “Macy Fire” was reported at 5:42 p.m. Thursday in the vicinity of the El Cariso Campground, north of the Ortega (74) Highway, just west of Macy Street, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
As of 10 a.m. Friday, the blaze was estimated at 145 acres, with 15% containment. More than 200 firefighters from the county, U.S. Forest Service and surrounding agencies were working to establish a line around the brusher.
The Ortega (74) Highway was shut down in both directions between the Orange County line and Grand Avenue in Lake Elsinore shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday after the flames jumped the two-lane corridor and began burning along the southbound side.
CHP officers on Friday were arranging escorts in and out of the closure area for residents who have proof of identification showing they have properties there. The highway was expected to stay closed for the remainder of the day.
With the fire largely concentrated in wildland and no longer posing an immediate threat to homes, evacuation orders declared Thursday evening were downgraded to warnings about 12:30 p.m. Friday, with residents asked to stay alert and use caution as there continued to be a heavy public safety presence in the area.
The warning applied to properties north of the Ortega, south of El Cariso Truck Trail, Lancashire and Toft drives, east of North Main Divide Road and west of Macy, Dreycott Way and Lakeview Avenue.
At one point, a Cal Fire air tanker was making drops over the fire Friday, but by noon, only water-dropping helicopters were required for targeted operations.
The blaze was concentrated in steep terrain, inaccessible to most firefighting vehicles.
The flames broke out on a hillside and made a run downhill at a “dangerous rate of spread,” heading directly toward residences alongside the federal preserve, according to the department.
One structure was lost.
An evacuation center was available at Elsinore High School, 21800 Canyon Drive in Wildomar.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.