deadly fairview fire burning in hemet jumps to 2400 acres overnight
The Fairview Fire burning in Hemet grew to roughly 4,000 acres Tuesday with just 5% containment as firefighters struggled to contain the blaze that has already claimed two lives and destroyed several homes.
“The fire activity has been very unpredictable,” Cal Fire spokesperson Rob Roseen said at the scene Tuesday morning.
The brush fire broke out around 2 p.m. Monday and spread rapidly on the outskirts of Hemet in Riverside County.
Two people were killed and another was injured as they were attempting to flee, Cal Fire Chief Josh Janssen said during a morning news conference.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the deaths. It’s unclear at this time if the people were related or from the same household.
Janssen did not have an update on how many structures were damaged or destroyed in the fire but Cal Fire tweeted that seven structures had been destroyed as of Monday night.