The fire crews in the East Coachella Valley battled another brush fire in Thermal Thursday morning, the sixth fire in the area.

More than 100 families evacuated their homes overnight along Avenue 70, Manuel Tovar lives in the area and saw the flames consume at least two mobile home and a car from one of his neighbors.

Tovar said, “It was just like daylight, I mean there were these big-o flames going up, everything was burning and stuff, and it was something to see.”

So far the Riverside County Cal Fire reported losses of five structures, one car and a boat in the three-acre blaze.

Tovar’s home was safe but he helped his sister evacuate her mobile home located right across the street from the fire.

He said, “Her husband, herself and her son they got in all of their cars and they came over here where it was safe, you know, just to be close to home.”

A Captian with Cal Fire, Fernando Herrera, he said 99% of fires are human-caused, either intentionally or by accident.

“My count right now we’ve had at least six fires between the community of Mecca and Thermal all in the rural areas,” Herrera said. “When it starts to warm up we start having more fires but just remember you have to be vigilant and aware of your surroundings.”

Herrera said it does not take much to start a fire, mechanical problems in the car or faulty gardening equipment can all spark flames.

In the meantime, Tovar is one of the many Coachella Valley residents who face the dangers of fire season and he urges caution after witnessing how quickly the fire spreads.

Tovar said, “She didn’t even have time to grab anything, it all happened so fast and everything is so dry that it catches on, I mean it could spread like.”

Cal Fire continues to investigate the fires in the East Coachella Valley and it is not yet determined if any of them are connected.

Six Brush Fires in Mecca and Thermal This Month Alone