Two die in Southern California's Fairview Fire near Hemet
HEMET -- Two people were killed as a fast-moving wildfire swelled rapidly over parched vegetation in Southern California on Monday, forcing hundreds of residents to flee amid a severe heat wave that has enveloped the region.
The Fairview Fire ignited after 2 p.m. local time and quickly scorched 2,000 acres, destroying at least seven structures and damaging several more near the city of Hemet in Riverside County, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters had contained about 5% as of Monday night.
About 5,000 homes were evacuated as the fire slashed a path of destruction through the baked countryside. The blaze "was spreading very quickly, before firefighters even got on scene," according to Cal Fire Captain Richard Cordova.
Two people died in the fire, he said. Officials have yet to release information on their identities or the circumstances of their death.
Another person was taken to a hospital with serious burns to their arms, back and face, according to KCBS.
The victims were in a "one way in, one way out" area of a dangerous canyon with a lot of overgrown vegetation that hasn't burned in decades, Cordova told the station.
Aerial footage showed several homes burning as flames encroached under a dense layer of smoke.
Schools will be closed Tuesday in Hemet due to the fire and the possibility of power outages with anticipated high temperatures, the district said late Monday..
Daytime temperatures will be above 100 degrees Fahrenheit for at least the next three days in Hemet, according to the forecast.
The Fairview Fire was one of several wildfires wreaking havoc over the holiday weekend in California, where fires have consumed thousands of acres in less than a week.
An extended record-setting heatwave in the West is also making conditions more dangerous, with California sizzling under triple-digit temperatures that have heightened the risk for wildfires.
