Fire fighters continued to battle the Fairview fire near Hemet on Sunday, as they slowly surrounded more of the massive blaze with a minor assist from wet weather around the region.
The Fairview fire stood at 28,307 acres burned. Containment of the fire inched up to 45%, just 2% from the night before, according to CalFire/Riverside County Fire Department.
Moisture in the air helped slow the rate of the fire’s spread, officials said in a statement.
“Lingering tropical moisture brought cloudy, cooler, and moist conditions to the fire on Saturday…a few showers were also reported,” fire officials said. “Smoldering and creeping (of the fire) will continue to increase.”
The fire has now been burning for nearly a week after starting on Monday, Sept. 5 in the afternoon, spreading from the Santa Rosa Hills just southeast of Hemet and spreading into mountainous areas south of the 74 Freeway.
When firefighters first started their response, they faced hot conditions in one of California’s worst ever heat waves. But rainy weather brought relief over the last few days.
The fire killed a father and daughter and injured a mother who were trying to escape from their Hemet home the day the fire started. Another three people were injured when a helicopter crashed near the burn area on Saturday.
Source: Orange County Register
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