IDYLLWILD - A wildfire burning in forest land near Idyllwild scorched about 600 acres and remained uncontained, with some voluntary evacuations in effect, the U.S. Forest Service reported tonight.
The blaze, burning along state Route 74 in the San Bernardino National Forest, roughly 10 miles east of Hemet, jumped both sides of the highway, prompting the California Highway Patrol to shut the road down from Borco Street to state Route 243. Detours were in place.
The fire was reported at 5:13 p.m. and could be seen by residents in the Coachella Valley before sunset.
Voluntary evacuations were in effect for a dozen homes along Bee Canyon Road as of 10 p.m., which is off state Route 74, said USFS spokeswoman Robin Prince.
About eight firefighters were parked in an Idyllwild Protection District fire truck in front of the home of Marilyn and Herb Forst, which is just off Bee Canyon Road.
``We're seeing the hills around us that are on fire,'' Marilyn Forst said by phone. ``They told us that we needed to leave, but we decided not to.''
Forst, who is a Hemet school board member, said that she and her husband don't want to leave behind their citrus orchard, which surrounds part of the home.
``The trees have been watered,'' Forst said, adding that she has lived on Bee Canyon Road for about 20 years. ``We have sprinklers on top of our house. We knew where we were building.''
The fire, which was moving away from Hemet, is near the Idyllwild Arts Academy, but there was no word on whether the campus was threatened.
The communities of Idyllwild and Pine Cove were evacuated for the Bee Canyon Fire in 1996, which burned around 10,000 acres, said Idyllwild Firefighter Scott Carlson.
``We're staffed up for tonight,'' Carlson said, adding that about a dozen firefighters were on standby at the Idyllwild Station.
Prince said no injuries were reported. Around 320 firefighters from multiple agencies, including state and local, were responding to the fire, she said.
Nine hand crews, 20 fire engines, three water tenders and a bull dozer were fighting the blaze.
``The air attack has laid down for the day,'' she said. ``The rate of spread of this fire has slowed down.''
Before sunset, aircraft dropped fire retardant and water to slow the progression of the flames, the USFS reported.
She said the blaze was five percent contained by 9:15 p.m. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
UPDATED STORY: 8-27-09 10 pm
IDYLLWILD - A wildfire burning in forest land near Idyllwild scorched roughly 600 acres today and remained uncontained, with some voluntary evacuations now in effect, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The blaze, burning along state Route 74 in the San Bernardino National Forest, roughly 10 miles east of Hemet, jumped both sides of the highway, prompting the California Highway Patrol to shut the road down at state Route 243. Detours were in place.
The fire was reported at 5:13 p.m. and could be seen by residents in the Coachella Valley.
Voluntary evacuations were in effect for a dozen homes along Bee Canyon Road, which is off state Route 74, said USFS spokeswoman Robin Prince.
The fire, which was moving away from Hemet, is near the Idyllwild Arts Academy, but there was no word on whether the campus was threatened.
Prince said no injuries were reported. Around 320 firefighters from multiple agencies, including state and local, were responding to the fire, she said.
Nine hand crews, 20 fire engines, three water tenders and a bull dozer were fighting the blaze.
"The air attack has laid down for the day,'' she said. "The rate of spread of this fire has slowed down.''
She said the blaze was five percent contained by 9:15 p.m. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
The blaze, burning along state Route 74 in the San Bernardino National Forest, roughly 10 miles east of Hemet, jumped both sides of the highway, prompting the California Highway Patrol to shut the road down from Borco Street to state Route 243. Detours were in place.
The fire was reported at 5:13 p.m. and could be seen by residents in the Coachella Valley before sunset.
Voluntary evacuations were in effect for a dozen homes along Bee Canyon Road as of 10 p.m., which is off state Route 74, said USFS spokeswoman Robin Prince.
About eight firefighters were parked in an Idyllwild Protection District fire truck in front of the home of Marilyn and Herb Forst, which is just off Bee Canyon Road.
``We're seeing the hills around us that are on fire,'' Marilyn Forst said by phone. ``They told us that we needed to leave, but we decided not to.''
Forst, who is a Hemet school board member, said that she and her husband don't want to leave behind their citrus orchard, which surrounds part of the home.
``The trees have been watered,'' Forst said, adding that she has lived on Bee Canyon Road for about 20 years. ``We have sprinklers on top of our house. We knew where we were building.''
The fire, which was moving away from Hemet, is near the Idyllwild Arts Academy, but there was no word on whether the campus was threatened.
The communities of Idyllwild and Pine Cove were evacuated for the Bee Canyon Fire in 1996, which burned around 10,000 acres, said Idyllwild Firefighter Scott Carlson.
``We're staffed up for tonight,'' Carlson said, adding that about a dozen firefighters were on standby at the Idyllwild Station.
Prince said no injuries were reported. Around 320 firefighters from multiple agencies, including state and local, were responding to the fire, she said.
Nine hand crews, 20 fire engines, three water tenders and a bull dozer were fighting the blaze.
``The air attack has laid down for the day,'' she said. ``The rate of spread of this fire has slowed down.''
Before sunset, aircraft dropped fire retardant and water to slow the progression of the flames, the USFS reported.
She said the blaze was five percent contained by 9:15 p.m. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
UPDATED STORY: 8-27-09 10 pm
IDYLLWILD - A wildfire burning in forest land near Idyllwild scorched roughly 600 acres today and remained uncontained, with some voluntary evacuations now in effect, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The blaze, burning along state Route 74 in the San Bernardino National Forest, roughly 10 miles east of Hemet, jumped both sides of the highway, prompting the California Highway Patrol to shut the road down at state Route 243. Detours were in place.
The fire was reported at 5:13 p.m. and could be seen by residents in the Coachella Valley.
Voluntary evacuations were in effect for a dozen homes along Bee Canyon Road, which is off state Route 74, said USFS spokeswoman Robin Prince.
The fire, which was moving away from Hemet, is near the Idyllwild Arts Academy, but there was no word on whether the campus was threatened.
Prince said no injuries were reported. Around 320 firefighters from multiple agencies, including state and local, were responding to the fire, she said.
Nine hand crews, 20 fire engines, three water tenders and a bull dozer were fighting the blaze.
"The air attack has laid down for the day,'' she said. "The rate of spread of this fire has slowed down.''
She said the blaze was five percent contained by 9:15 p.m. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
