Race against time to contain California's Holy Fire
Thousands of people evacuated from the area; Jonathan Hunt reports from Lake Elsinore on the conditions.
Officials issued new mandatory evacuations Thursday for the so-called Holy Fire coursing through Southern California.
The order was put into effect for people living in Elsinore “on the mountainside of Lake St and southwest of Grand Ave to Ortega Hwy,” the Cleveland National Forest Service tweeted.
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The fire is only 5 percent contained and reached more than 9,000 acres since first erupting earlier this week, according to the service, which said firefighters were working “to battle the blaze around the clock.”
People living in the Trabuco Canyon and Lake Elsinore areas faced mandatory evacuations from the agency as well on Wednesday, KTLA reported.
Aerial footage showed planes dropping fire retardant above the flames and billowing smoke.
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The latest bout of mandatory evacuations came a day after authorities announced the apprehension of Forrest Gordon Clark, 51, who was taken into custody on suspicion of felony arson, felony threat to terrorize and misdemeanor resisting arrest.
He was booked into the Orange County Jail on Wednesday, officials said.
Clark reportedly sent an email to Volunteer Fire Chief Mike Milligan warning that “this place will burn.”
Fox News’ Frank Miles and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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