Rabbit Fire near Beaumont grows to over 8,200 acres amid heat, air quality warnings

Janet Wilson and Ani Gasparyan, Palm Springs Desert Sun
Updated ·3 min read
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The Rabbit Fire near Beaumont, the largest wildfire burning in Riverside County, continued to smolder Monday in heavy, dry brush amid searing summer temperatures.

All of the Coachella Valley is under an excessive heat alert this week, with dangerously hot conditions and high temperatures, and smoke could continue to impact some areas.

The Rabbit blaze was 45% contained as of 8 p.m., according to CalFire, and had grown to 8,283 acres. Fire crews worked much of the day to build containment lines. They're up against extreme heat, low humidity, and steep terrain that's tough to access, hampering suppression efforts. But progress has been made.

"That is due to all of the efforts of all of our firefighters. They've done an outstanding job of strengthening our control lines," said CalFire Riverside County Chief Josh Janssen, who mentioned the work overnight Sunday let them re-open northbound Highway 79. "We're focusing our efforts today on that southbound portion of the 79 to get that re-opened ... and then being poised and ready for any new incidents that may occur in the county."

The southbound portion of State Route 79 will reopen starting 4 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The wildfire was burning in a northeast direction Monday morning, off Gilman Springs Road and Jack Rabbit Trail in Lakeview. More than 1,400 personnel and numerous air tankers from across the state are battling the stubborn inferno, with full containment not expected until July 21.

One civilian injury was reported on Friday, and 152 structures remained under threat, as do area radio repeaters towers and natural gas and petroleum pipelines. Numerous evacuation orders or warnings remain in effect, as do closures on California Avenue, County Landfill Road, Jack Rabbit Trail and Bridge Street. Highway 79 northbound from Gilman Springs to Beaumont Avenue has reopened, as has Gilman Springs between Alessandro and Highway 79.

An evacuation center is open at Beaumont High School, 39139 Cherry Valley Boulevard, in Beaumont. County Animal Services personnel will be at Beaumont High School to receive small animals. Large animals can go to the San Jacinto Animal Shelter at 581 South Grand. Anyone needing assistance with animal evacuations can call Riverside County Department of Animal Services at (951) 358-7387 More information is available at: (951) 940‐6985.

Wildfire smoke map: Track fires and red flag warnings across the US and California

Progress made on Reche Fire, Gavilan Fire, Highland Fire

Progress has been made on three other blazes, and the causes of all four remain under investigation.

  • The Reche Fire in Moreno Valley was at 437 acres and 90% contained, and all evacuations near it have been lifted.

  • The Gavilan Fire in the unincorporated Perris area, was at 338 acres and 50% contained. Evacuation warning areas were lifted and roads open as of 8 p.m., according to Cal Fire.

  • The Highland Fire in the Beaumont/Banning area burned 105 acres, was 98% contained and all evacuations have been lifted.

Extreme heat, some poor air quality expected all week

High heat is expected to continue through Friday across Riverside County, and moderate air quality, especially near fire zones, could impact people with asthma and other risks.

  • Extreme heat warnings: Dangerously hot conditions with high temperatures of 112 to 118 through Tuesday, then 115 to 121 for Wednesday through Friday expected.

  • Impacted areas include: The Coachella Valley, San Diego County deserts and San Gorgonio Pass near Banning.

  • How long? The warnings are in effect until 8 p.m. Friday.

  • The dangers: Extreme heat significantly increases the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for thoseworking or participating in outdoor activities.

  • Smoky skies: Winds will continue to push any remaining smoke from the Rabbit Fire toward the eastern part of the county, including the Coachella Valley, and may result in unhealthy air quality levels for sensitive groups.

  • Forecast: High temperatures exceeding 112 could continue through at least the middle of next week.

Janet Wilson is senior environment reporter for Th Desert Sun. She can be reached at jwilson@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Rabbit Fire near Beaumont grows to over 8,200 acres