US

California Wildfire Explodes To More Than 20,000 Acres In 3 Days, Forcing Thousands To Evacuate

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California’s Apple fire spread to 26,450 acres Monday, Public Information Officer Daron Wyatt of the California Hearing Interagency Incident Management Team 2 told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Altogether, 2,296 personnel are responding to the fire, which is at 5% containment, Wyatt told the DCNF. The cause for the fire is still being investigated.

One firefighter is believed to be injured, Public Information Officer Zach Behrens at the San Berardino National Forest told the DCNF.

The U.S. Forest Service noted the fire began in Cherry Valley, California, according to CNN. The fire started Friday before 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time and an estimated 7,800 people have evacuated, the Riverside County Fire Department said, according to another CNN report. (Related: 1700 Firefighters, National Guardsmen Battle Northern California Wildfire That Has Already Claimed Two Lives)

#AppleFire morning update: 20,516 acres at 0% containment.

Our new public information line is:
(909) 383-5688

Please continue to follow @RivCoReady and @sbcountysheriff for evacuation info. pic.twitter.com/qCGkMGNy8a

— San Bernardino National Forest (@SanBernardinoNF) August 2, 2020

Orders to evacuate were given to people living north of Banning and Beaumont in Riverside County, CNN reported.

The evacuation centers at local hotels and Beaumont high school will enforce coronavirus proceedings, including mask wearing, social distancing and temperature screenings at entrances, Public Safety Information Specialist Rob Roseen for the CAL Fire and Riverside County Fire Department said, according to CNN.