Sandalwood Fire: 1 Dead In Destructive Wind-Driven Calimesa Fire

CALIMESA, CA — One person is dead, two are accounted for and many more suffered "medical emergencies" following a destructive fire sparked by trash and fanned by Santa Ana winds in Calimesa. The so-called Sandalwood Fire is now 823 acres and remained just 10 percent contained as of Friday afternoon. Approximately 500 homes remain under evacuation orders.

The fire was sparked after a trash truck dropped a smoldering load near Interstate 10 and Sandalwood just before 2 p.m., Patch has confirmed.

"As of right now, we are trying to contain the fire within the control lines that we've established," Cal Fire officials said at a press conference Friday afternoon. "As with yesterday, we're being challenged with the weather and the wind. We're still concerned with the spotting potential... We're also competing with the resources we have right now due to all the other fire activity that's going on in Southern California."

SEE ALSO: VIDEO: Man Captures Moments Before Truck Ignited Sandalwood Fire

Dozens of structures inside Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park burned in the Sandalwood Fire, Patch confirmed at the scene. The fire jumped from home to home as crews worked to protect nearby structures.

As of Friday afternoon, officials said a total 76 structures were destroyed. Another nine had moderate damage and 5 had minor damage.

At the scene of the mobile home park on Thursday, fire officials say they assisted with "numerous medical emergencies." It wasn't until later in the evening that they discovered one person had been killed in the inferno, as well.

Additional information related to the death was not immediately available. On Friday, Sheriff Chad Bianco said there are also two people who are unaccounted for.

SEE ALSO: PHOTOS: Calimesa Fire Devastates Community: 74 Structures, 800 Acres Lost

Bianco said that deputies are conducting a death investigation, so the area will remain closed to the public.

"We are working now with arson investigators from the fire department and our central homicide unit to determine whether or not there will be any criminal culpability in this fire," he said. "We've identified the cause, obviously, but we're still investigating whether or not there will be any type of criminal charges pending."

More than 200 firefighters remain assigned to the Sandalwood Fire and are working to contain the fire.

"We are hoping that we can gain some ground this morning," Fire Capt. Fernando Herrera said early Friday. "We have some helicopters out there, dropping some water, along with our hand crews. The boots on the ground will try to encircle this fire and put out as much of the hot spots."

Mandatory evacuations remain in effect south of Seventh Street and east of County Line Road, as well as for nearby Mesa View Middle School, whose students were taken by bus to Calimesa Elementary School in Yucaipa.

A care and reception center that had been opened at the Calimesa Senior Center was closed at 7:30 p.m. and a shelter was opened at Mesa Grande Academy, 975 Fremont St. in Calimesa. Transportation was being provided to transfer evacuees from the senior center to Mesa Grande Academy, authorities said.

Large and small animals were being accepted at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus at 581 S. Grand Ave. in San Jacinto. Anyone needing help evacuating pets was urged to call 951-358-7387.