More evacuees from the destructive Holy fire got word Sunday they could return to their homes after containment of the blaze grew to 41 percent overnight, with 22,174 acres consumed by the wildfire that authorities said was set Monday by an arsonist.
The fire has destroyed 14 structures and damaged 6, according to an ongoing assessment. Those homes were mostly in Big Jim Canyon – a cluster of homes and cabins above Rancho Santa Margarita.
An evacuation order was lifted Sunday morning for the Sycamore Creek neighborhood, the Cleveland National Forest tweeted. The area is in unincorporated Temescal Creek, in southwest Riverside County.
But firefighters also declared Sunday morning a voluntary evacuation for the Trilogy community, in an unincorporated area next to Glen Ivy Hot Springs.
Evacuations remained in effect in Holy Jim, Trabuco Canyon recreation residence tracts, Blue Jay and Falcon Campgrounds, El Cariso Village, Rancho Capistrano, and Glen Eden Canyon, authorities said.
The U.S. Forest Service has reduced its estimate of evacuated homes to about 3,698, affecting an estimated 11,120 people, down from 20,000 at the beginning of the weekend.
Highway 74 remains closed in both directions. Glen Eden Road is closed at DePalma Road.
Firefighters on Sunday expected relatively cooler weather, with temperatures reaching the low 90’s and southwesterly winds 8 to 12 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. They planned to protect structures and work on fighting the fire’s spread at its north and south perimeters.
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Saturday evening, the evacuation order was lifted for the Machado neighborhood in Lake Elsinore, and voluntary evacuations were no longer in place for the Shoreline community. Earlier Saturday, evacuations were lifted for the Horsethief Canyon neighborhood in a county area near Corona, as well as the McVicker and Rice Canyon areas in Lake Elsinore.
The containment percentage grew from 36 percent on Saturday night. Containment is the percentage of the perimeter that firefighters have determined the fire will no longer spread beyond.
Andrew and Vicky Masotto of Lake Elsinore were effusive in their praise of firefighters on Sunday morning as they received cleaning supplies from the Red Cross to help clean ash from their home.“People should go up and say, “Thank you very much for saving my home, ‘ ” Andrew Masotto said. “Thank you so much for risking your lives for us.”
Masotto said he bought gift cards and handed them to firefighters to show his gratitude.
The couple watched as firefighting aircraft flew low over their home to drop water and retardant.
“It was nothing short of a miracle,” Vicky Masotto said. “It’s more than amazing.”
The Lake Elsinore Unified School District’s first day of school, which had been set for Monday, was reset to Aug. 20, the school board decided. “The 2018/19 school year calendar will not be extended, so winter and spring breaks, grad dates, and last day of school are unchanged.”
One of the district’s schools, Rice Canyon Elementary, was spared from the fire Thursday as firefighters stopped a blaze that charred the hillside and open country across the street from the school on Lincoln Street, near the intersection of Westwind Drive.
The Corona Norco Unified School District also announced several schools will delay their opening day from Monday to Aug. 20. The affected schools are south of the 91 freeway and east of Border Avenue in Corona, the district said.
The City of Corona announced a day camp to help working parents of students for the week of Aug. 13 -17, 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily. It urged online registration. Fees are $110 for residents and $140 for non-residents, with priority for parents of students at affected schools. The camp will be located at Circle City Center, 365 N. Main St., Corona.
Menifee Union School District schools will be in session Monday, but elementary school back-to-school nights have been rescheduled to Aug. 23. Middle school back-to-school nights will be Aug. 16. The district’s calendar showed first semester classes began Aug. 8.
The district said it has been working to remove ash from the schools, and students will be on a bad-weather schedule that reduces student activity, and can include staying indoors.
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With fire retardant dropped by air tankers covering much of the area, a firefighter looks for hot spots behind homes along Gateway Drive in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, after the Holy fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhood to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
After being evacuated from the Sycamore Creek neighborhood in Corona on Wednesday, August 8th due to the Holy fire, from left, Maddie Joyce, Ben Dowsett, Emma Joyce and Ceri Dowsett were allowed to return to get clothing as they pull their luggage along Campbell Ranch Road in Corona on Saturday, August 11, 2018.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
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A sign lets visitors know that the Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona is closed on Saturday, August 11, 2018, as the Holy fire burns in the mountains in the Cleveland National Forest nearby.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
With fire retardant covering some of the hillside vegetation, a firefighter looks for hot spots on a ridge along Gateway Drive in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, after the Holy fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhood to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
The Holy fire burns in the mountains in the Cleveland National Forest near Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona on Saturday, August 11, 2018.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
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People stop along Temescal Canyon Road and watch as air tankers drop fire retardant along a ridge in the mountains of the Cleveland National Forest above Glen Ivy Golf Club in Corona on Saturday, August 11, 2018, just ahead of the Holy fire which has burned for six days.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
An air tanker makes a drop of fire retardant along a ridge in the mountains of the Cleveland National Forest above Glen Ivy Golf Club in Corona on Saturday, August 11, 2018, just ahead of the Holy fire which has burned for six days.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
A firefighter finds a hot spot on a ridge along Gateway Drive in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, after the Holy fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhood to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
After returning to their neighborhood following an evacuation, Stephen McDonald, left, and his wife, Jenesa, center, along with neighbors James Gassor, second from left, and Glen Huggins, right, look for hot spots behind the McDonald home on Gateway Drive in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, after the Holy fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhood to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
Fire retardant dropped by air tankers covers a hummingbird feeder at the home of Stephen and Jenesa McDonald on Gateway Drive in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, after the Holy fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhood to be evacuated. No homes were lost in the neighborhood.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
Fire hoses lay in front of the home of Stephen and Jenesa McDonald on Gateway Drive in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, after the neighborhood was evacuated on Wednesday, August 8th because of the Holy fire burning in the hills of Cleveland National Forest behind the homes.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
Fire retardant dropped by air tankers covers the home of Stephen and Jenesa McDonald on Gateway Drive in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, after the Holy fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhood to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
With fire retardant covering some of the hillside vegetation, a firefighter looks for hot spots on a ridge along Gateway Drive in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, after the Holy fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhood to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
A firefighter looks for hot spots behind homes along Gateway Drive in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, after the Holy fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhood to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
A firefighter looks for hot spots on a ridge along Gateway Drive in Lake Elsinore on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, after the Holy fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhood to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
The California Highway Patrol closes Indian Truck Trail at Campbell Ranch Road in Corona on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, due to evacuations of homes in the area during day 6 of the Holy fire in Lake Elsinore and Corona.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
An air tanker makes a drop of fire retardant along a ridge in the mountains of the Cleveland National Forest above Glen Ivy Golf Club in Corona on Saturday, August 11, 2018, just ahead of the Holy fire which has burned for six days.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
Some of the fire crews fighting the Holy fire pitch tents on a soccer field at Lakeside High School in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, August 11, 2018. The fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhoods to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
A sign on a soccer field fence at Lakeside High School in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, August 11, 2018, informs visitors of sleeping fire crews in tents that have been fighting the Holy fire which burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhoods to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
One of the fire crews fighting the Holy fire pitched a tent on in the goal on a soccer field at Lakeside High School in Lake Elsinore on Saturday, August 11, 2018. The fire burned through the area forcing thousands in neighborhoods to be evacuated.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
Cars stop in the middle of the road with more parked along side, as the California Highway Patrol closes Indian Truck Trail at Campbell Ranch Road in Corona on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, due to evacuations of homes in the area during day 6 of the Holy fire in Lake Elsinore and Corona.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
A firefighting helicopter picks up water at Corona Lake on Saturday morning, August 11, 2018, during day 6 of the Holy fire in Lake Elsinore and Corona.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG) -
An air tanker makes a drop of fire retardant along a ridge in the mountains of the Cleveland National Forest above Glen Ivy Golf Club in Corona on Saturday, August 11, 2018, just ahead of the Holy fire which has burned for six days.
(Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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