The Esperanza Fire

Four U.S. Forest Service firefighters were killed today, and a fifth was critically injured, while fighting the Esperanza wildfire near Cabazon, west of Palm Springs, California.

The firefighters were fighting a house fire in a subdivision south of town when flames engulfed their truck.

Authorities are blaming the fire on arson. The U.S. Forest Service has withdrawn its fire crews. Strong Santa Ana winds have blown the fire onto the San Bernardino National Forest south and west of Cabazon towards Banning and Hemet. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has mustered more than 1,400 fire personnel, including 600 prison inmates to build firelines. Ten airtankers and 13 helicopters were on the fire as of 6 PM.

The Esperanza fire has grown to over 10,000 acres by this evening. At 7:30 PM Gov. Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Riverside County. Over 100 residents have been evacuated and an unknown number of homes burned.

Google Earth Coordinates: 33 51 20 N; 116 51 00 W

For the best coverage of the Esperanza Fire see Esperanza Wildfire Timeline posted by the Desert Sun of Palm Springs.

The Timeline is a collection of short news reports in chronological order. Scroll to the bottom of the page and read the bottom-most post first, then the one above it, and so on, working up the page.

It will be worth it. The effect is almost stream-of-consciousness journalism. The Desert Sun has captured the fear, grief, anger, and shock of first impressions, from residents to officials, minute-to-minute. This is still Day One of an unfolding tragedy, and it unfolds before your eyes at the Esperanza Wildfire Timeline.

Updating as we post, the Idyllwild Town Crier now reports over 24,000 acres and ten structures consumed as of 8:10 PM. Both sources mention “beetle-killed timber.”

Official SOS Forest Thanks go out to Wayne Kraft for supplying the heads-up and links.