Footage of the Apple Fire in Southern California Shows Its Devastation of 26,000 Acres

From Prevention

• On July 31, the Cherry Valley area of Riverside County, California was met with a fire that has now engulfed more than 26,000 acres.

• The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but arson is the number one suspect.

• Videos on social media have captured the devastation, as the fire’s smoke output can now be seen from space.

On the evening of July 31, the Cherry Valley area of Riverside County, California was met with a storm of flames that have now engulfed more than 26,000 acres, reports say. According to local news outlet ABC 7, at least one home and two outbuildings have been destroyed so far, with 2,500 others in danger. No injuries have been reported, and according to the San Bernardino National Forest, as of the evening of August 2, the blaze was only 5% contained.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but arson is the number one suspect. Per ABC 7, officials say the rapidly spreading flames are likely the result of two suspected arson fires merged into one.

In an effort to contain the blaze, more than 2,200 personnel and firefighters, per the National Forest, took on the flames on the ground and from the air, dropping 19,000 gallons of flame retardant to protect the threatened areas and workers. Evacuation orders and warnings for many communities remain in place, and several trails, parking lots, and roads have been closed.

A tweet from ABC 7 reporter Drew Tuma shows that the fire’s billowing smoke output can now be seen from space. “The #AppleFire in Riverside County can be seen from space as it accelerates in size today,” he wrote, attaching a satellite video. “Massive amount of smoke detected.”

The fire has expanded so rapidly due to dry brush, low humidity, and high temperatures, and according to ABC 7, its path on rough terrain makes it difficult for containment crews to keep up. “Lots of oils in, so when it's going up these canyons, it’s creating all that heat because of those oils and those fuels,” California Fire Captain Richard Cordova told the outlet. “And what you’ll see is these big plumes of smoke going up, especially the darker [ones], and once it gets into the atmosphere, it’ll start creating its own weather.”

Authorities are calling it the Apple Fire, as it broke out near Apple Tree Lane. It’s one of three bushfires burning in the area at once. The other two, per Dan Cohen, reporter at KTTV FOX 11, are the Water Fire and Post Fire, which are much smaller. The Water Fire envelops 70 acres, and at the time of publication, is 50% contained. The Post Fire occupies 40 acres and is 0% contained.

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