Wildfires Sweep Through Southern California Neighborhood

Home owner Andres Psaras walks through the burned rubble of the Spanish style home he purchased for his daughter and husband late last year following the Hawarden fire in the Alessandro Heights area o

Several homes were left in ruins on Monday as a dangerous wildfire tore through a neighborhood in Riverside, California, during a scorching heat wave. The fire erupted on Sunday afternoon in a hilly area of Riverside, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, destroying three homes and damaging four other structures. The cause of the fire, which burned just under a square mile, is currently under investigation.

Residents Noel Piri and his wife rushed home to rescue their dog upon receiving a call about the fire in the neighborhood. Unfortunately, their newly remodeled house was engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived, leaving them devastated.

The temperature in Riverside soared to 102 degrees on Sunday amidst a heat wave that has been affecting the interior of California and is expected to persist throughout the week. Multiple fires are raging across the state, including one that rapidly expanded to over 4 square miles on the border of Lake and Colusa counties, northwest of Sacramento, with containment reaching 25% by Monday.

Meanwhile, in the Pacific Northwest and Idaho, more than two dozen fires are burning, with lightning strikes igniting additional blazes in Oregon over the weekend due to extremely dry and hot conditions. The largest fires are active in rural areas of eastern Oregon and Washington, impacting air quality with thick smoke.

Multiple fires burning across California, Oregon, Washington, and Utah.

Wildfire destroys homes in Riverside, California during heat wave.

Evacuations in Oregon and Utah due to fast-moving wildfires.

Extreme fire behavior anticipated in rural areas of Oregon and Washington.

Smoke columns and 'fire clouds' pose risks in affected regions.

Evacuation orders lifted for Salt Lake City wildfire near state Capitol.

Fire near Columbia River Gorge prompts mandatory evacuations near Mosier.

Thick smoke impacting air quality in Pacific Northwest and Idaho.

Firefighters battling blazes in California, Oregon, Washington, and Utah.

Containment efforts ongoing with some fires reaching 25% containment.

In Oregon, the town of Huntington was evacuated, and a stretch of Interstate 84 was closed after a massive smoke column collapsed due to thunderstorms, prompting fears of the fire spreading. While I-84 has since reopened and the town is secure, evacuation orders remain in place as extreme fire behavior is anticipated.

Large wildfires can produce massive plumes of smoke and ash that can rise over 5 miles, with the potential for smoke columns to collapse under certain conditions. In some cases, smoke columns may develop into 'fire clouds,' resembling thunderheads before a storm.

Another fast-moving fire ignited on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, leading to mandatory evacuation notices for an area near Mosier. In Utah, evacuation orders were lifted for a wildfire near Salt Lake City that threatened neighborhoods near the state Capitol over the weekend, with the fire partially under control as of Monday morning.