As smoke fills the air here in our Morongo Basin, authorities have ordered mandatory evacuations for hundreds of people Wednesday from a nearby ferocious 4,700-acre wildfire off Highway 74 between Hemet and Mountain Center, a fast-moving blaze that burned homes aided by a blistering heat wave. Five homes had burned and the fire was 5 percent contained as of 10:15 last night. Authorities said the Cranston fire was the work of an arsonist and arrested a suspect shortly after the fire broke out around noon in the San Jacinto Mountains. Brandon N. McGlover, 32, was arrested on five counts of arson of wildland. Meanwhile, all residents of Idyllwild, Pine Cove and Fern Valley were told Wednesday afternoon to “leave immediately”, evacuations were expanded to Mountain Center, Apple Canyon, Lake Hemet and Hurkey Creek. There was no estimate Wednesday evening when the fire might be contained. More than 700 firefighting personnel were at the blaze, aided during the day by helicopters and airplanes. The flames is chewing through very dry 2-foot-high brush and 6-foot-high chaparral.
