Temescal Valley Times
Cerrito Fire, May 3-7, 2004
in Temescal Valley, California
Written by Larry Hunt
At about 1:30 p.m. on Monday, May
3rd
2004, a man pulling a
large steel plate with a chain behind his truck bumped along
rural Mayhew Road near Glen Ivy Hot
Springs, throwing sparks
and
igniting the dry brush. He was intending to cut the metal into scrap.
Instead, he helped to start the first week of southern California's fire season.
The Cerrito Fire (initially named the El Cerrito Fire) began near the area of Tom's Farms in Temescal Valley. Within 40 minutes the blaze had covered about 400 acres. By late Monday night it had moved farther east toward Good Hope and was visible north toward Cajalco Road. Temperatures on Tuesday were 94 but by Wednesday they had dropped to 86 in Corona.
A Red Cross evacuation center was established at Good Hope Elementary School in Perris. The Highway Patrol closed some routes within the area, including Lake Mathews, Cajalco, Temescal Canyon, Horsethief Canyon and Indian Truck Trail.
The Cerrito Fire claimed an estimated 16,460 acres of brush, and was only 65 percent contained by Wednesday evening. The Press Enterprise reported that 14 buildings were lost, which included single and doublewide manufactured homes, many of which were abandoned. Outbuildings consumed in the Cerrito Fire were 10. Thirty-five vehicles were also burned.
Lake Mathews and Corona Lake helped to control the flames that cost an estimated $1.7 million. Water-dropping helicopters were able to carry large quantities of water from these two lakes and return to the fires within minutes, helped by hardworking firefighters and bulldozers.
More than 3,100 firefighters from around the state and Arizona took part in fighting the fires, both in Temescal Valley and also in Temecula where another unrelated blaze named the Eagle Fire claimed 8,900 acres. Along with these, several other fires were spreading. The Gafford Fire in the Wildomar area burned 375 acres and another related blaze called the School Fire burned 377 acres. In San Diego County, firefighters put out a fire which damaged 1,825 acres near the Camp Pendleton Marine base.
By Friday, May 7th 2004, the fires in Temescal Valley were out and most of the firefighters went back home. The first week of Southern California's fire season had come to a close.
Watch Slideshow: Cerrito Fire, May 3-7, 2004 (Contributed)
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