Holy Fire (2018)

The Holy Fire was a wildfire that burned in the Cleveland National Forest in Orange and Riverside Counties, California. The wildfire started on August 6, 2018 at around 1:15 PM PDT, in the vicinity of Trabuco Canyon. A suspected arsonist was booked into the Orange County jail in Santa Ana, California but found not guilty in 2023. The blaze burned 23,136 acres (94 km²) and destroyed 18 buildings, before it was fully contained on September 13, 2018. While the fire was actively spreading in early and mid-August, residents of the nearby cities of Corona, Temescal Valley, and Lake Elsinore were placed under evacuation orders.

Progression

The Holy Fire was first reported at 1:15 PM PST on Monday August 6, 2018 in Holy Jim Canyon (from which the fire derives its name), a community of about 40 homes and cabins in the Trabuco Canyon area of the Santa Ana Mountains. Evacuation orders were issued for parts of Trabuco Canyon, including the entire community of Holy Jim. Trabuco Creek Road was subsequently closed at Trabuco Canyon Road indefinitely as the Orange County Sheriff Department continues their investigation. It quickly moved uphill in a northeast direction, jumping the crest of the Santa Ana Mountains into neighboring Riverside County, threatening the areas of Corona, El Cerrito, and Glen Ivy Hot Springs. At the time, the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Effects

By August 8, thirteen cabins had been destroyed in Holy Jim (sic - impacted cabins are in Trabuco). No major injuries were reported. By August 10, one home along Ortega Highway had also been destroyed, the only confirmed home in Riverside County at that time. By August 13, the Holy Fire had destroyed a total of 18 structures in both Orange and Riverside Counties.

Evacuation areas

On August 13, the neighborhoods under mandatory evacuation included:

• Blue Jay
• El Cariso
• Glen Eden (Corona)
• Holy Jim Canyon
• Indian Canyon (Corona)
• Sycamore Creek (Corona)
• Horsethief Canyon (Corona)
• Mayhew Canyon (Corona)
• Rancho Capistrano
• Trabuco Canyon

As of August 13, neighborhoods under voluntary evacuation included:

• Trilogy (Temescal Valley)

Arson

The fire was allegedly started by 51-year-old Forrest Gordon Clark, who ignited it near a cabin owned by Clark in the Holy Jim Canyon community. He was arrested on August 8, 2018 and booked into the Orange County Jail on suspicion of two counts of felony arson, one count of felony threat to terrorize, and one count of misdemeanor resisting arrest. Two weeks before the fire started, Clark reportedly sent a message to Mike Milligan, the volunteer fire chief of Holy Jim Volunteer Fire Department, reading "This place is going to burn." However, Clark later claimed he was asleep at the time the fire started. Clark’s bail was set for $1 million.

Court appearances and acquittal

On August 10, 2018, Forrest Gordon Clark made his first court appearance. He was originally scheduled to appear on August 9, 2018. However, he refused to leave his jail cell. He was due back in court on August 17, 2018. On August 17, when he appeared for the second time, which was the third attempt for his court hearing, Clark’s erratic behavior caused a judge to stop the normal proceedings. The charges were subsequently suspended so Clark’s mental health and competency could be examined. Two examinations were submitted before his next court appearance on October 10, 2018. A third, "tie-breaking" examination was ordered after competing examinations were submitted. On November 28, 2018, Clark was ruled competent to assist attorneys in his defense, and the resisting arrest charges were subsequently dropped. On December 12, 2018, Clark pled not guilty to the remaining charges.

On February 10, 2021, a request to lower Clark's US$1,000,000 bail was denied by a judge. The judge stated that the rejection stemmed from a concern for public safety. On June 1, 2023, Forrest Clark was found not guilty of all arson charges.

Growth and containment

Growth and Containment

See also

• 2018 California wildfires
• Santiago Fire – burned in a similar location in 2007; also caused by arson
• Silverado Fire – burned in a similar location in October 2020; ignited by Santa Ana Winds.
• Mendocino Complex Fire

References

External links

• Holy Fire Archived 2018-09-15 at the Wayback Machine (InciWeb)