The Airport Fire, which broke out Monday in Orange County’s Trabuco Canyon, has grown in intensity. As of Wednesday, the blaze was still out of control as it spread through Riverside County, consuming tens of thousands of acres and burning homes.
Although firefighters did not have specific figures on the structures burned, they told the Times that several homes were affected.
Joel Pavelka, who lives in the small mountain town of El Cariso, tried to remain optimistic.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything’s OK so far,” Pavelka said as he watched smoke rise over the Santa Ana Mountains near where he has lived for 20 years.
The small, tight-knit community in Riverside County sits in the heart of the Cleveland National Forest, home to campgrounds and trails through scenic mountains. To the west is the Pacific Ocean and to the east is Lake Elsinore. Over the years, wildfires have burned the mountains.
On Wednesday afternoon at the Lake Elsinore Market, as the sun began to set, the silhouette of helicopters dropping water from the nearby lake was visible.
Pavelka and a small group of evacuees had been camping for more than a day, watching the winds blowing near their homes and receiving reports from neighbors who remained behind. Smoke filled the air and the firelight painted the landscape a hazy orange.
The Airport Fire started unintentionally with a spark from heavy equipment while boulders were being moved in the foothills of Trabuco Canyon. As of Monday, it has burned more than 20,000 acres, with 0% containment, while two other major fires have raged in San Bernardino County and the Angeles National Forest.
More than 5,000 homes have been placed under evacuation orders in Riverside County, affecting more than 19,000 residents, California Division of Forestry and Fire Protection Chief Todd Hopkins said at a news conference Wednesday.
At the market, evacuees sat on folding chairs outside a camper van.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Barbara,” said a man walking past the group.
Barbara Shea-Han, owner of Lookout Roadhouse on Ortega Highway in Lake Elsinore, is well-known in the area. She said her home and restaurant are still standing, but many of her neighbors were not so lucky.
“It’s horrible. My house burned down many years ago,” she said. “I know exactly how they feel. It’s debilitating.”
Shea-Han had gone shopping in the Irvine mountains Tuesday morning. When she returned, the Ortega Freeway, the only road to her home, was closed. She accompanied a news crew to sneak into the community.
“Looking at the vegetation, it looks like a moonscape with trees. All you see is rocks and dirt,” she said. “It will be weeks before the restaurant can reopen.”
And maybe days before they can sleep in their own beds.
