Overview
- The Verona Fire, reported Tuesday in the Homeland area near Hemet, spread quickly through brush near Juniper Springs Road and Verona Lane.
- CAL FIRE said the blaze reached about 125 acres by early afternoon and ordered Level 3 evacuations for RVC‑1185, RVC‑1186, RVC‑1187 and RVC‑1285, which are county‑coded alert zones.
- Incident command requested 10 additional engines along with two air tankers and a helicopter to protect structures in the fire’s path.
- Independent tracker WatchDuty estimated the size at about 175 acres, and smoke was visible from Hemet, Menifee and Temecula.
- Neighbors reported that a man identified as Andrew went door to door urging evacuations and was burned while helping, a claim not yet independently verified.