Holy Fire (2018)

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Not to be confused with Holy Fire.
Holy Fire
Holy Fire from Mission Viejo.jpg
Smoke at sunset from the Holy Fire, as seen in Mission Viejo, on August 9, 2018
LocationCleveland National Forest, Orange and Riverside Counties, California
Coordinates33°40′44″N 117°31′00″W / 33.67889°N 117.51667°W / 33.67889; -117.51667Coordinates: 33°40′44″N 117°31′00″W / 33.67889°N 117.51667°W / 33.67889; -117.51667
Statistics[1][2]
Cost>$25.7 million (2018 USD)[3]
Date(s)August 6, 2018 – September 13, 2018
Burned area23,136 acres (9,363 ha)[1][4]
CauseArson[5]
Buildings destroyed18
DeathsNone reported
Non-fatal injuries3 firefighters[6]
Perpetrator(s)Forrest Gordon Clark (suspected)[5]
MotiveUnknown
Map
Holy Fire (2018) is located in California
Holy Fire (2018)

The Holy Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Cleveland National Forest in Orange and Riverside Counties, California. The wildfire started on August 6, 2018 at around 1:15 PM PDT, in the vicinity of Trabuco Canyon.[7][8] The suspected arsonist, Forrest Gordon Clark, was booked into the Orange County jail in Santa Ana, California.[9] The blaze burned 23,136 acres (94 km2)[1][4][5] and destroyed 18 buildings,[1] before it was fully contained on September 13, 2018.[1][10] While the fire was actively spreading in early and mid-August, residents of the nearby cities of Corona, Temescal Valley, and Lake Elsinore were placed under evacuation orders.[11]

Timeline[]

The Holy Fire was first reported at 1:15 PM PST on Monday August 6, 2018, in Holy Jim Canyon (from which the fire derives its name),[12][7] a community of about 40 homes and cabins in the Trabuco Canyon area of the Santa Ana Mountains.[13] Evacuation orders were issued for parts of Trabuco Canyon, including the entire community of Holy Jim. Trabuco Creek Road was subsequently closed at Trabuco Canyon Road indefinitely as the Orange County Sheriff Department continues their investigation. It quickly moved uphill in a northeast direction, jumping the crest of the Santa Ana Mountains into neighboring Riverside County, threatening the areas of Corona, El Cerrito, and Glen Ivy Hot Springs. At the time, the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Growth and Containment[]

Fire containment status
Gray: contained; Red: active; %: percent contained;
Date Acres burned (ha) Containment Growth (%)
Aug 7 4,000 (1,600)
0%
 N/A
Aug 8 6,200 (2,500)
0%
 +55%
Aug 9 10,236 (4,142)
5%
 +65.1%
Aug 10 19,107 (7,732)
10%
 +86.6%
Aug 11 21,473 (8,690)
29%
 +12.4%
Aug 13 22,714 (9,192)
52%
 +5.7%
Aug 14 22,986 (9,302)
59%
 +1.2%
Aug 15 22,986 (9,302)
78%
 +0%
Aug 16 22,986 (9,302)
82%
 +0%
Aug 18 22,986 (9,302)
91%
 +0%
Aug 24 22,986 (9,302)
95%
 +0%
Aug 26 22,986 (9,363)
100%
 +0%
Aug 27 23,136 (9,363)
94%
 +0.6%
Sep 13 23,136 (9,363)
100%
 +0%

Impact[]

By August 8, thirteen cabins had been destroyed in Holy Jim (sic - impacted cabins are in Trabuco).[14] No major injuries were reported.[15] By August 10, one home along Ortega Highway had also been destroyed, the only confirmed home in Riverside County at that time. By August 13, the Holy Fire had destroyed a total of 18 structures in both Orange and Riverside Counties.[1]

Evacuation areas[]

On August 13, the neighborhoods under mandatory evacuation included:[16][17][18][19]

  • Blue Jay
  • El Cariso
  • Glen Eden (Corona)
  • Holy Jim Canyon
  • Indian Canyon (Corona)
  • Sycamore Creek (Corona)
  • Horsethief Canyon (Corona)
  • Mayhew Canyon (Corona)
  • Rancho Capistrano
  • Trabuco Canyon

As of August 13, neighborhoods under voluntary evacuation included:

  • Trilogy (Temescal Valley)[19]

Suspect[]

Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, suspected arsonist

The fire was allegedly started by 51-year-old Forrest Gordon Clark; it was ignited near a cabin owned by Clark in the Holy Jim Canyon community.[20] He was arrested on August 8, 2018 and booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, one count of felony threat to terrorize, and one count of misdemeanor resisting arrest. Two weeks before the fire started, Clark reportedly sent a message to Mike Milligan, the volunteer fire chief of Holy Jim Volunteer Fire Department, reading "This place is going to burn."[5] However, Clark later claimed he was asleep at the time the fire started.[21] Clark is currently being held in lieu of $1 million bail.[9]

Court appearances[]

On August 10, 2018, Forrest Gordon Clark made his first court appearance. He was originally scheduled to appear on August 9, 2018. However, he refused to leave his jail cell.[22] He was due back in court on August 17, 2018.[23] On August 17, when he appeared for the second time, which was the third attempt for his court hearing, Clark’s erratic behavior caused a judge to stop the normal proceedings, ending with a suspension of the charges so Clark’s mental health and competency can be examined. Two examinations were submitted before his next court appearance on October 10, 2018.[24] A third, "tie-breaking" examination was ordered after competing examinations were submitted. On November 28, 2018, Clark was ruled competent to assist attorneys in his defense, and subsequently the resisting arrest charges were dropped. On December 12, 2018, he pled not guilty to the remaining charges.[25]

On February 10, 2021, a request for Clark's US$1,000,000 bail to be lowered was denied by a judge. The judge stated that the rejection stemmed from a concern for public safety.[26]

See also[]

  • 2018 California wildfires
  • Santiago Fire – burned in a similar location in 2007; also caused by arson
  • Silverado Fire – burned in a similar location in October 2020; ignited by Santa Ana Winds.
  • Mendocino Complex Fire

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Holy Fire". Cleveland National Forest. September 14, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  2. ^ "Holy Fire". CAL FIRE. August 26, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  3. ^ "2018 National Large Incident Year-to-Date Report" (PDF). National Interagency Fire Center. September 17, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Holy Fire Reignites, Burns 150 Acres". CBS Los Angeles. August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d Faith Karimi and Eliott C. McLaughlin (2018-08-10). "'The place is going to burn,' arson suspect allegedly texted before Holy Fire". CNN.
  6. ^ Ruben Vives; Laura J. Nelson; Doug Smith (August 12, 2018). "Firefighters gain upper hand on 22,700-acre Holy fire in Cleveland National Forest, as containment rises to 41%". Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Holy Fire Now 92 Percent Contained". NBC Southern California. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  8. ^ Grad, James Queally, Joseph Serna, Alene Tchekmedyian, Shelby (2018-08-06). "Firefighters battle 4,000-acre brush fire in Orange County amid extreme heat". Latimes.com. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  9. ^ a b "Holy Fire: Suspect arrested in connection to blaze". ABC 7 Los Angeles. 2018-08-08. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  10. ^ Brian Rokos (September 14, 2018). "Holy fire in Riverside and Orange counties is 100 percent contained". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  11. ^ "Holy Fire more than 9,600 acres near Lake Elsinore-Corona area". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  12. ^ "Who was Holy Jim, anyway?". 8 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Holy fire spreads to 4,000 acres in Orange, Riverside counties". The Mercury News. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  14. ^ Haire, Chris (2018-08-08). "Holy Jim, devastated by fire, faces specter of vanishing forever". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved 2018-08-10.
  15. ^ "Holy Fire chars 9,600 acres near Lake Elsinore-Corona area". ABC7 Los Angeles. 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2018-08-09.
  16. ^ Marc Cota-Robles. "Holy Fire explodes to 18,137 acres in Lake Elsinore area". ABC7.
  17. ^ "What to Know: Holy Fire Evacuations, Road Closures". Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  18. ^ Salvo, Christina (2018-08-13). "Holy Fire containment rises to 52 percent in Riverside County". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  19. ^ a b De Atley, Richard; Shultz, Craig; Saavedra, Tony (2018-08-12). "Firefighters get a handle on the Holy fire, containment jumps to 51%". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
  20. ^ "More areas evacuated as Holy Fire grows to 10,236 acres and jittery residents leave homes". Desertsun.com. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  21. ^ "Man charged with arson in California 'Holy Fire'". WGN9. 2018-08-09.
  22. ^ "Man Suspected of Starting Holy Fire in Trabuco Canyon Area Is Charged After Refusing to Leave Jail Cell for Court Appearance". KTLA. 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  23. ^ "'It's a Lie', Holy Fire Arson Suspect Says During First Court Appearance; Arraignment Continued". KTLA. 2018-08-10. Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  24. ^ "Third arraignment attempt for Holy Fire suspect Forrest Clark goes off the rails again; charges suspended for competency evaluation". DesertSun. 2018-08-17. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  25. ^ "Judge drops two counts against Holy Fire suspect Forrest Gordon Clark in ongoing hearing". Desert Sun. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
  26. ^ Emery, Sean (February 10, 2021). "Judge declines to reduce bail for man accused of igniting massive Holy fire". The Orange County Register. Retrieved February 10, 2021.

External links[]

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