Tenaja Fire continues to spread; Menifee schools closed Friday

Flames from the Tenaja Fire are seen not far behind homes in La Cresta Wednesday night. Photo courtesy of Cal Fire

Story updated at 5 p.m.:

Smoke and ash filled the air once again Thursday and threatened more homes in Murrieta as the Tenaja Fire, fueled by heat, winds and dense brush, continued to spread in the La Cresta community in the hills west of the city.

The fire, first reported at 3:56 p.m. on Wednesday, has covered 2,000 acres and is 7 percent contained, Cal Fire officials reported. Additional evacuations were ordered Thursday afternoon for Montanya Place, Bonita Place, Belcara Place & Lone Oak Way in Murrieta.

In the hours after the fire broke out on Wednesday, the Santa Rosa Plateau Visitors Center on Clinton Keith Road was evacuated, along with residences on La Trails Circle in La Cresta. Mandatory evacuations also were issued to residents in Copper Canyon South of Calle del Oso Oro between Clinton Keith and Murrieta Creek.

School has been cancelled for Friday in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District, Menifee Union School District, Perris Union High School District, Romoland School District and at Santa Rosa Academy, according to school officials.

There will no outdoor high school sports events held tomorrow, said Kirk Skorpanich, assistant superintendent of PUHSD. Paloma Valley's scheduled home varsity football game tomorrow night will be played at the site of the opposing team -- ML King High in Riverside. Heritage High's scheduled home game will be played at Cajon in San Bernardino.

Skorpanich said the decision was made now because reports from AQMD indicate the air will be unhealthy for all individuals on Friday.