Fairview Fire in Southern California Kills Two Civilians, Forces Evacuations of over 1,000 People

A wildfire called "Fairview Fire" has killed two civilians in Southern California, according to California officials as of Tuesday evening, September 6.

Another person was taken to a hospital due to serious burn injuries on the body sustained from the fire.

The fast-moving wildland fire has grown rapidly and forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 people as it destroyed multiple structures along its path.

The Fairview Fire is located in The Golden State's Riverside County, which consists of a population of approximately 2.4 million.

The blaze is far from contained as firefighters and local authorities continue to prevent its spread to nearby areas.

Authorities projected that the fire could further expand due to tinder dry conditions and high temperatures amid a scorching heat wave enveloping California and the Western US.

The main cause of the Riverside County fire remains unknown.

In the past, related events have been caused by human activities, including outdoor campfires and barbequing.

However, the circumstances surrounding the eruption of the Fairview Fire links to the ongoing extreme heat dome, which has persisted over the US region over the past week, as other wildfires such as the Mountain Fire and Mill Fire have been reported across the state as well.

Fairview Fire

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said the Fairview Fire has engulfed a total land area of 4,500 acres and is only 5% contained along Fairview Avenue and Bautista Canyon Road, near the city of Hemet.

The provided information by the California government agency is based on its update as of 6:07 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

The California fire started on Monday afternoon, September 5.

Since then, the fire has spread very quickly even before firefighters arrived on the scene, according to Cal Fire Captain Richard Cordova.

Under investigation, the fire is expected to reach 7,000 acres, according to officials on Tuesday.

It is under the jurisdiction of the Unified Command of the Cal Fire Riverside United and the Hemet Fire Department.

Wildfire Emergency Response

Officials will close schools in Hemet on Tuesday due to the fire and potential power outages amid hot temperatures.

They are also yet to release the identities of the two victims and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.

However, aerial footage reportedly showed several homes burnt as the flames spread under a dense smoke layer.

Forecasters said this could continue as temperatures will be above 100 degrees Fahrenheit at least for the next three days in Hemet.

Prior to the catastrophic disaster, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jon Heggie told CNN on Sunday, September 4, that the prolonged drought conditions have generated "extremely dangerous" conditions as the so-called parched lands contain a large amount of dead fuel.

The main priority of the firefighting team is to prevent the Fairview Fire from spreading to the nearby Bautista Canyon, which would fuel the blaze and allow for a room to grow, AccuWeather reported.