Residents near Lake Elsinore fire burn scar warned to pack essentials in case of mudslides

No evacuations have actually been issued for those living near the Holy Fire burn scar

A water dropping helicopter makes continuous rounds at fighting the Tenaja Fire during Day Two of the wildfire. Shane Gibson photo

LAKE ELSINORE (CNS) – Some neighborhoods in the Holy Fire burn scar area northwest of Lake Elsinore were warned to prepare to leave should heavy rain trigger mudslides, but evacuations haven’t been necessary, authorities said.

The Emergency Management Department advised residents in the Glen Eden and Grace A evacuation zones that they should pack essentials in their cars and prepare to respond quickly should conditions escalate to an evacuation order, according to the department’s Shane Reichardt.

Residents of the Glen Eden and Grace A evacuation zones, visible in the upper part of this map, were advised to be ready to leave in the case that mudslides in the Holy Fire burn scar trigger evacuations. Valley News/Riverside County Emergency Management Department courtesy photo

The evacuation zones can be identified via maps provided by the EMD.

“We are not aware of any evacuations,” Reichardt said. Residents rarely leave their homes unless ordered, especially in light of orders to stay home to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. “We have locations for people if needed. They just have to call 211.”

The evacuation warning is not mandatory, but signals that there is a potential threat to life and/or property and gives additional time for those who have pets and livestock to leave their home, Reichardt said.

The communities lie along the eastern boundary of the Cleveland National Forest, where the 23,000-acre Holy Fire in August 2018 laid waste to steep terrain below Santiago Peak, permitting water to flow unchecked onto lower slopes where the neighborhoods are situated.

City News Service (CNS)