Smoke warning goes out to residents in two counties as Highland fire burns 2,500 acres

Crews are making progress on the 2,487-acre Highland fire that exploded in Riverside County this week, burning at least 15 structures and spurring evacuations for about 4,000 people in and around Aguanga.

The fire smoldered overnight and saw only minor creeping along its perimeter, officials with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Wednesday. It is 15% contained.

However, billowing smoke from the fire continues to pose a threat to residents of the region, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued a smoke advisory through Thursday morning.

The advisory warns local residents who can see ash or smell smoke to avoid or limit outdoor activities.

Potentially affected areas extend north from the fire’s origins in the unincorporated area of Aguanga to the cities of Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar and Lake Elsinore and west to San Clemente and other communities in southern Orange County.

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Highland fire forced residents to flee. ‘I went outside and couldn’t breathe’

Evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect in and around Aguanga. At least 2,300 additional structures are threatened by the blaze, which is 10% contained.

Oct. 31, 2023

The fire ignited shortly before 12:45 p.m. Monday in the area of Highlands Road and Aguanga Ranchos Road.

All evacuation orders and warnings remain in effect, officials said. An evacuation center is open at Great Oak High School in Temecula, while large and small animals can be taken to the San Jacinto Animal Campus.

More than 1,100 firefighters are battling the fire, which is burning amid dried brush and grasses in steep terrain.

The fire was driven by Santa Ana winds that swirled in the Inland Empire in recent days. Cal Fire said easterly winds are forecast to continue in the area through Thursday evening, which have the potential to push the fire in a west or southwest direction.

“Current and expected weather of steady winds with low relative humidity may increase the risk of erratic fire behavior,” the agency said.