(This story was updated with new information.)
Evacuation orders and warnings that were issued for a fire near Cabazon, dubbed the Almond Fire, were lifted within hours on Tuesday, March 24. Cal Fire initially issued the order and warnings for a swath of land south of Interstate 10 when a vegetation fire that began in an RV spread to 40 acres.
The orders were cleared at just after 5 p.m., and Cal Fire advised residents to use caution for crews and equipment when returning to the area.
Earlier, Cal Fire had reported at 4:30 p.m. that the fire’s forward spread had been halted, and resources are expected to remain on scene roughly four hours mopping up hot spots.
What areas were under evacuation order?
An evacuation order was issued for an area just west of the Arrowhead water bottling plant. The area under the order area was bounded by Almond Street to the west, Elm Street to the east, Bonita Avenue to the south and William Avenue to the north.
The bottling plant itself was part of a larger swath of territory to the east and south that was placed under evacuation warning. Those areas were roughly bounded by Almond Street to the west, Interstate 10 to the north, Rushmore Avenue to the east and Esperanza and Margaret avenues to the south.
An evacuation order is a legal order to leave an area immediately and seek shelter elsewhere, while an evacuation warning is issued when a fire could constitute a threat to life or property. A warning serves as a recommendation for those who might need extra time to evacuate the area.
The area that was previously under the evacuation order contains a handful of homes, satellite imagery shows. But the evacuation warning area extended south into a residential area containing a number of homes on the southeast side of Cabazon.
When did the fire begin?
Firefighters were initially dispatched to the blaze near the intersection of Almond Street and Bonita Avenue at around 2 p.m. Tuesday, Cal Fire spokesperson Jasmine Wood said. That intersection is about 1,500 feet south of Interstate 10.
The fire had spread to a size of two to three acres by around 2:30 p.m. with Cal Fire posting an update at just before 4 p.m. stating that the fire was now 10 to 15 acres and burning in “heavy fuel” with additional firefighting resources being sent there. By 4:30 p.m., Cal Fire said, it was at 40 acres.
What is the forecast?
The fire came amid hot, dry and somewhat windy conditions in Cabazon. Gusts of around 20 mph had been measured by the National Weather Service in Cabazon throughout Tuesday afternoon with the forecast calling for stronger winds of up to 25 mph on Wednesday. The winds were likely to weaken some but persist on Thursday before calming while high temperatures were expected to remain in the 90s through the weekend.
Staff writer Jennifer Cortez contributed to this report.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers growth, development and business in the Coachella Valley. Email him at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Evacuation orders lifted for Almond Fire near Cabazon
Reporting by Paul Albani-Burgio, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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