Rabbit fire: Evacuation orders, road closures lifted for Southern California wildfire

All mandatory evacuations and road closures tied to the Rabbit fire south of Beaumont were lifted at noon on Tuesday, July 18, authorities said.

The evacuation order for the area east of Jack Rabbit Trail, north of Gilman Springs Road, south of West First Street and west of California Avenue/Highway 79 was reduced to a warning, meaning residents should be prepared to leave should conditions worsen.

All roads are now open, the California Highway Patrol said.

The fire, now mostly smoldering, was still mapped at 8,283 acres and 45% containment Tuesday, said Fire Division Chief Josh Janssen of Cal Fire/Riverside County.

Containment refers to the percentage of a fire’s perimeter that has been surrounded by a control line, created by firefighters or natural elements such as a water body, that officials believe the fire will not cross.

There was little change Tuesday to the other major fires burning in the county:

• The Highland fire south of the 10 Freeway in the Beaumont and Banning area was at 105 acres and 98% containment.

• The Reche fire near Moreno Valley was at 437 acres and 90% containment.

• The Gavilan fire southeast of Lake Mathews was at 338 acres and 65% containment. Evacuation orders were lifted and all roads reopened.

The cause of the fires remained under investigation Tuesday.

Fire officials urge residents to make an evacuation plan. Information is available at readyforwildfire.org.

Updates on fires and road conditions are available on Twitter for Cal Fire at @calfirerru and Caltrans District 8 at @caltrans8.