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1.4K-Acre Falls Fire At 20 Percent Containment

LAKE ELSINORE (CBSLA.com) — The Falls Fire burning in the Cleveland National Forest near Lake Elsinore was 20 percent contained Tuesday, officials said.

The 1,416-acre Falls Fire was reported at 10:06 a.m. Monday in the Decker Canyon area south of the Ortega (74) Highway, Marc Peeples with the SoCal Incident Management Team said.

Mandatory evacuation orders issued Monday for Lakeland Village and Rancho Capistrano were lifted Tuesday morning, however, the orders for Decker Canyon remain.

Ortega Highway at Grand Avenue in Lake Elsinore and Antonio Parkway near San Juan Capistrano was closed to non-residents. The freeway could be closed for days or even weeks due to the fire damage.

In addition, officials closed access to the El Cariso Campground off El Cariso and Main Divide roads, the Wildomar Off-Highway Vehicle Area and the California Wildland Firefighter Memorial.

A Red Cross evacuation center was set up at Lakeside High School, 32593 Riverside Dr.

Fifty-five engines, 16 handcrews, five fixed-wing aircraft, five helicopters and two dozers were fighting the fire. A DC-10 was also ordered.

About 265 personnel from a number of agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire Riverside, the Orange County Fire Authority, and the Corona Fire Department, were involved in the effort.

Three people were injured, including two firefighters and one civilian with a medical disorder.

One structure burned.

The cause of the blaze is unknown.

FEMA Tuesday approved federal funding to help aide in the fire fight.

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