Smoke, ash fill the air in Menifee; local schools closed

Smoke from the Airport Fire is seen from McCall Boulevard and Bradley Road. (Photo by Melissa Gearhart on Facebook)

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Menifee residents sought comfort indoors and local schools announced closures for Wednesday because of poor air quality from multiple fires in the area.

Most impactful on Menifee is the Airport Fire, which spread throughout the day from its start in Trabuco Canyon to the edge of Lake Elsinore. The fire – named for a model plane airport near the fire’s start – had covered more than 19,000 acres by 8 p.m. Evacuations were ordered in the Robinson Ranch community of Trabuco Canyon.

No injuries were reported, but fire officials confirmed that an unknown number of homes burned in the Decker Canyon area. The fire jumped Ortega Highway, which was closed, but no injuries had been reported.

Menifee Union School District, Romoland School District and Perris Union High School District announced that schools would be closed Wednesday because of unhealthy air conditions. Santa Rosa Academy and Bear River Academy also announced closures. The City of Menifee announced the cancellation of several outdoor activities that were scheduled.

Although the Airport Fire was responsible for most of the smoke and ash seen in Menifee, other fires in the region were contributing to the overall poor air quality. The Line Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest continued to burn toward Big Bear, covering more than 26,000 acres. In the San Gabriel Mountains, the Bridge Fire had jumped to 34,000 acres by mid-evening.

To the south, the Roblar Fire near Camp Pendleton had covered 1,000 acres. Several other fires continued to burn in other areas of the Southland.