Macy Fire forces Riverside County residents to evacuate

Firefighters in Riverside County rushed to extinguish a rapidly growing fire before it reached nearby homes near Lake Elsinore.

The Macy Fire started at about 5:40 p.m. near the intersection of Orange Street and Macy Street in El Cariso, an unincorporated area of Lake Elsinore.

Authorities issued an evacuation order for nearby residents and closed the hillside to the public. Firefighters closed the nearby Highway 74 to the Orange County line in both directions to allow resources to flow in and out of the area. They also closed Grand Avenue from Machado to Maiden Lane.

Firefighters released the below map to show the evacuation area.

Here is an interactive map outlining the area .

Originally, firefighters established an evacuation center at Lakeside High School but moved it to the Elsinore High School, 21800 Canyon Drive, Wildomar, several miles from the fire.

Lakeside High School was less than a mile from the blaze.

As of 7:25 p.m., the fire had burned 134 acres. Firefighters were on the ground and in the air to extinguish the blaze. At the time, it was 92 degrees in Lake Elsinore, and the area was under an excessive heat warning.

It's unclear if anyone has been injured. However, at least two buildings — one home and one garage — were destroyed.

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.

Firefighters sent 30 engines, two water tenders, two helicopters, two dozers and four hand crews, culminating in a total of 200 personnel in the area.