The Nickerson Fire near Aguaga in southern Riverside County grew rapidly Monday afternoon to nearly 4,000 acres by Tuesday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Photos and videos from the scene showed some buildings destroyed by flames and others on fire. It’s unclear how many of the buildings are residential. About 2,000 buildings were under evacuation orders and warnings, according to Cal Fire.
Around 12:30 a.m. Monday, firefighters received a call about a fire near Richard M. Nixon Boulevard in Aguaga, a largely rural community about 10 miles from Palomar Mountain and Riverside and San Diego counties. The border is not far.
Within hours, the fire grew explosively, reaching 1,000 acres by 5 p.m. and then nearly tripling in size by 8 p.m., according to Cal Fire.
As of Tuesday morning, the area had grown to 3,750 acres without any containment measures. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The fires calmed down overnight as temperatures dropped and humidity increased, but crews faced another day of 90-degree temperatures and low humidity on Tuesday.
“Coupled with some winds in the afternoon, there’s definitely a chance it could hit us again,” said Rob Roseen, spokesman for Cal Fire’s Riverside County division.
The fires are burning in dense brush that was lush during the rainy season but has since dried out, providing prime conditions for fast-moving wildfires. Rosen said the fuel loading is about double what is normal for the area this time of year.
About 300 firefighters are fighting the blaze on the ground and in the air using planes and helicopters.
Rosen said that while the fire was pushing eastward Monday, winds in the area could change direction quickly, so residents should be prepared to evacuate quickly.
“We know from last year’s Fairview Fire that winds in the area can change very quickly,” he said. “Just because you don’t necessarily live in the path of a fire, there’s no reason to take any comfort from that.”
In northern Kern County, the Borrell Fire continues to spread in and around the Sequoia National Forest, growing to 57,306 acres Tuesday morning, according to federal officials. Its content is 17%.
The Park Fire in Butte and Tehama counties has become the fifth-largest fire ever recorded in the state, continuing to grow overnight and reaching 383,619 acres as of Tuesday morning with 14% containment, according to Cal Fire .
