Anza fire is now 95 % contained
Steep terrain coupled with strong winds made it difficult for fire crews to get control of the Anza Fire that sparked just before noon off Hwy 74 just east of Anza.
All evacuations have been lifted and firefighters said after mapping the Anza Fire, the acreage has been updated to 450 acres and it’s 95 percent contained.
Highway 74 has reopened in both directions as of Tuesday afternoon. Only residents of Pinyon Pines and Pinyon Flats were allowed to use the road to drive up to their homes on Monday.
“I was at school and we saw smoke and everyone was freaking out because a lot of people live around here,” said Alka Sayish who was in class at Hamilton High School when the fire was reported.
The flames quickly spread to brush from a motor home that caught fire heading south on 74. The driver suffered second degree burns.
“That would be pretty scary I hope he’s okay,” said Sylvia Arzati who was unable to get to her home in the Santa Rosa Reservation.
“I think he must have been really scared,” said Sayish.
Fanned by winds, the fire at one point reached the edge of a ridge near Bull Canyon, prompting nearly a dozen families to evacuate.
Then the winds turned, enabling the fire to get two heads on it, and moved back to the east.
“It was big and billowing then it separated into two,” Arzati said. “I mean it was big”
It took crews several hours to halt the fire’s advancement as dark smoke billowed from the oily juniper brush that fueled the flames.
Three firefighters suffered minor injuries battling the fire: two were CalFire firefighters and one was a member of an inmate crew.
“It’s really hard for them because of all the mountains,” said Sayish, adding that she’s grateful for firefighters’ efforts.
Fire officials warn, if you’re headed out on these steep roads make sure your car is well-maintained. They say the cause of the fire in the motor home may have been the vehicle overheating on Hwy 74.
“These are really rough roads to go up and down for damaged vehicles so be careful with that,” Gerrelaine Alcordo of the U.S. Forest Service.
A large pillar of smoke can be seen from around the Coachella Valley. Officials said residents in the mountain communities including Pinyon, Pine Cove, Garner Valley, Lake Riverside, Mountain Center, and Idyllwild will experience drift smoke from the fire.
