Mountain Fire
| Mountain Fire | |
|---|---|
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| Location | Mountain Center, Riverside County, California |
| Coordinates | 33°42′18″N 116°43′34″W / 33.705°N 116.726°WCoordinates: 33°42′18″N 116°43′34″W / 33.705°N 116.726°W |
| Statistics | |
| Cost | $25.8 million (2013 USD) |
| Date(s) | July 15, 2013 – July 30, 2013 |
| Burned area | 27,531 acres (111 km2) |
| Buildings destroyed |
23 |
| Map | |
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The Mountain Fire was a wildfire in July, 2013 in Riverside County, California, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles. It burned primarily in the San Jacinto Mountains in the San Bernardino National Forest. It started on July 15, 2013 at 1:43 PM near the junction of Highway 243 and Highway 74. It burned for 16 days on steep slopes of timber and chaparral above Palm Springs. Heavy rainfall, up to 1.5 inches (3.8 cm), on July 21 helped bring the blaze under control. It was fully contained on July 30, 2013.
CalFire investigators said the fire was caused by a failure of "some type of electrical equipment" on private property and was not related to utility company equipment. At the fire's peak there were 3,500 firefighters on the lines as well as 20 helicopters, 12 airplanes and 260 engines. The cost of fighting the fire was estimated at $25.8 million.
For a time the fire threatened the town of Idyllwild and other small towns. The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and Mount San Jacinto State Park were closed due to unhealhful air quality, and many neighboring areas were warned of possible unhealthful air conditions. The fire reached to within 2 miles of Palm Springs, which was draped by a blanket of ash and smoke.
Nearly 6,000 residents of the Idyllwild and Fern Valley areas were ordered to evacuate; those communities were not damaged by the fire and the evacuation orders were lifted July 21. Evacuation centers were set up at Hemet High School in Hemet, Hamilton High School in Anza and Beaumont High School in Cherry Valley.
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