Wildfire season in Southern California got off to an ominous start this weekend, with several fires sparking across Riverside and San Bernardino counties’ parched landscapes, elevating concerns that conditions are ripe for a fiery year across the Golden State.
Experts have been warning that the Southland’s below-average rainy season is likely to set the stage for a particularly bad stretch of fires this summer and fall — and the recent spate of blazes appears to be a sign of what’s to come.
“We are on track for a pretty devastating year overall,” said Matt Rahn, the director of the Wildfire Conservancy, a nonprofit that works to improve firefighting and community resilience. “If we get hotter and drier throughout the state, then that risk increases significantly. We’re hoping that that doesn’t happen, but all predictions are pointing to a much hotter, drier summer and fall.”
This week, temperatures in the Southland are expected to begin to cool slightly after several days with highs in the 90s and triple digits across the interior, but heat will remain intense across the state. In the Central Valley, highs are expected to remain near or in the triple digits, while a chance for thunderstorms in parts of Northern California could compound fire concerns.
Though temperatures on Monday and this weekend spiked across much of inland Southern California, there was not an increased wind threat or particularly low humidity — elements that create heightened fire weather.
Still, vegetation in the area was already so parched that fires were able to take off in several spots in the Inland Empire and San Bernardino mountains, forcing large-scale evacuations and cementing concerns that this wildfire season could be particularly bad.
“Just because things have been so dry and we haven’t had that meaningful rainfall that we need, that’s why we’re starting to see fires about to break out,” said Sam Zuber, a National Weather Service meteorologist in San Diego. “Things are just really dry out there.”
On Monday, firefighters in Riverside County responded to the fourth new, large fire in just two days, trying to contain the flames that broke out just before noon near Perris. The Juniper fire was initially reported at 30 acres but quickly grew to almost 700 after burning “at a critical rate of speed,” according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
But just before 6 p.m., officials said the fire’s progress had been halted, confirming 30% containment. Still, thousands remained under evacuation orders or warnings.
An evacuation order was in effect Monday night for around 630 people, according to a Cal Fire spokesperson. About 2,500 more residents were under an evacuation warning. An evacuation shelter was set up at Citrus Hill High School, at 18150 Wood Road in Perris, Cal Fire said.
About 25 miles northeast, firefighters continued battling the Wolf fire near Banning, where hundreds had been ordered to leave their homes for safety and many more were under evacuation warnings.
The 1,400-acre blaze was reportedly 10% contained Monday morning, but by the afternoon, that number had dropped back down to zero, according to an update from Cal Fire. At least two additional areas were ordered to evacuate overnight and more were placed under evacuation warnings Monday morning, on top of some 750 people who had already been put under evacuation warnings or orders Sunday. An emergency shelter had been set up for evacuees at Hemet High School.
Those two fires on Monday appeared to be the most pressing for Cal Fire teams, who had responded to 10 new, large fires across the state since Saturday morning, seven of which occurred in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The Wolf fire remained the largest. Cal Fire officials said Monday morning that crews made “good progress” on the fire overnight and expected to continue to push it back with multiple aircraft and hundreds of firefighters on the ground. The fire broke out near the intersection of Old Banning Idyllwild Road and Wolfskill Truck Trail a little after 3 p.m. Sunday, according to the agency.
The Mindy wildfire near Aguanga also started Sunday, and was measured at about 100 acres by Monday, with almost 70% containment, according to Cal Fire.
The Mandalay fire in the Jurupa Valley also ignited Sunday, growing to 83 acres with no containment, per the latest Cal Fire reports.
Near Devore, the Cable fire broke out in Cable Canyon on Sunday, but remained under 20 acres Monday, with 50% containment. Cal Fire officials reported that one firefighter there had been taken to the hospital for a heat-related injury.
On Saturday, the Lake fire forced more than 100 people to evacuate Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area. It was 485 acres and 25% contained as of Monday afternoon, but Cal Fire reported crews had been able to stop its progress.
The Smiley fire near Ordway also broke out Saturday, reaching 83 acres. It was 100% contained by Monday morning, according to Cal Fire.
With so many ongoing fires, officials issued an air quality alert Monday for the Riverside County mountains, Coachella Valley and San Gorgonio Pass, including Palm Springs and Idyllwild.
“Particles in wildfire smoke can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks, and difficulty breathing,” the weather service warned. “Everyone can be affected, but people with lung or heart disease, older adults, people who are pregnant, children, and those who spend a lot of time outdoors are at greater risk.”
Officials were also concerned that much of inland Northern California — from the eastern Mendocino National Forest to Shasta, Tehama and Trinity counties — could soon see increased wildfire activity. The region was upgraded to a red flag warning for Monday and Tuesday, with the weather service warning that thunderstorms and winds could create dangerous conditions.
“Lightning can create new fire starts and [that] may combine with gusty outflow winds to cause a fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity,” the red flag warning said. On Sunday, two fires sparked near that red flag area, but both remained under 40 acres as of Monday.
The National Interagency Fire Center predicted in June that that much of the state would likely see above-normal significant fire potential through at least September, given expected heat and a lack of rainfall, with a more immediate risk in Southern California.
“There is a greater chance for timber dominated fires during this summer compared to 2023 and 2024,” the center’s latest report said. “Larger fires are also possible in the smaller fuel types of coastal areas as the marine layer becomes less pronounced over the next couple of months.”
Fortunately, firefighters across the state have been able to keep a handle on the latest fires, Rahn said, but he worries that could change if weather conditions shift or if incidents become more widespread — like during the high-risk weekend of the Fourth of July.
“The good news is, even with these recent fires we had, especially in Riverside County, we didn’t have the wind events … so they’re able to smash down these fires pretty effectively,” Rahn said. “But that all changes once the winds start to pick up, and that’s really been the most devastating part of a lot of our fires. … Everybody’s on high alert right now.”
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