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View Winners → Fire Jul 06, 2023
| Photo courtesy of the Riverside County Fire Department
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As the summer fire season gets into full swing with this inaugural heat wave, a number of residential and brush fires scorched locations throughout Riverside County over the last seven days.
Mecca Fire 20% contained after burning 15 acres
Firefighters battled a vegetation fire in Mecca on Wednesday that burned 15 acres, caused a brief power outage and prompted Mecca Elementary School to voluntarily evacuate due to smoke in the area.
Fire crews responded around 9:10 a.m. Wednesday near Lincoln Street and 64th Avenue to a report of a vegetation fire, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
“Firefighters are currently on scene of a vegetation fire burning thick in vegetation,” fire officials said in a statement at 9:53 a.m. “The fire is currently 3 acres and burning with a moderate rate of speed.”
The fire grew to 6 acres shortly after 10 a.m. and to 15 acres with no containment by 11:20 a.m.
The Imperial Irrigation District alerted the public at 10:48 a.m. that an outage had affected 198 of its customers from Lincoln Street to Fourth Avenue. Power was restored to all but one customer within an hour.
Power lines were de-energized in the area, and the Riverside County Emergency Management Department worked to establish a cooling center for residents affected by the outage, fire officials said.
The forward rate of the fire was stopped at 3:30 p.m. as firefighters had the flames 20% contained.
No evacuation orders were issued, though the school, located a little less than a mile from the fire, had students leave anyway due to the smoke.
Blaze erupts in Mead Valley, burning over 50 acres
A brush fire that broke out Wednesday in Mead Valley consumed about 55 acres and threatened homes before Cal Fire aircraft slowed it down, enabling crews to begin establishing tentative containment lines.
The non-injury blaze was reported at 4:08 p.m. in the area of Day Street and Cajalco Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
According to the agency, multiple county engine and hand crews, as well as several helicopter-borne strike teams, and crews from the Hemet and Riverside fire departments were sent to the location and encountered flames “moving at a critical rate” through medium brush amid stiff southwesterly winds.
Firefighters immediately deployed to establish protective screens around properties in the path of the brusher. No homes or other structures were damaged as of 5:30 p.m.
Four Cal Fire air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters made a series of runs on the brusher, closing off its eastern flank and blunting its forward progress, allowing crews to begin digging containment lines.
No evacuation orders were pending as of 5:30 p.m., and there was no word on what might have triggered the fire.
Three-quarter-acre vegetation fire forces lane closure on state Route 62
Fire crews Wednesday battled a three-quarter-acre vegetation fire that forced the closure of one lane on state Route 62 near Desert Hot Springs.
The California Highway Patrol responded at 4:16 p.m. Wednesday to state Route 62 near Mission Creek Road to a report of brush on fire on the right shoulder, according to the CHP. One lane on northbound state Route 62 at Mission Creek Road was closed as fire crews worked to mitigate the flames.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at around 4:40 p.m., according to a spokesperson with the Riverside County Fire Department.
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Spot fires in Santa Ana River bottom prompt bridge closure
A pair of brush fires that broke out Wednesday in the Santa Ana River bottom between Jurupa Valley and Riverside blackened a total of three acres and prompted closure of a bridge before crews stopped them.
The non-injury fires were reported at about noon near the Market Street bridge linking Jurupa Valley and Riverside, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said multiple engine crews from the county and city of Riverside, as well as the Corona Fire Department, were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a slow rate through heavy vegetation.
Sheriff’s deputies and Riverside police officers shut down the bridge as a public safety precaution, snarling traffic flowing north and south. No homes or other structures were threatened.
With the help of Cal Fire water-dropping helicopters, firefighters stopped the forward rate of spread on both fires at about 2:45 p.m. One fire burned an acre, while the other consumed roughly 2 acres, according to officials at the scene.
County Emergency Management Department staff attempted to evacuate an unspecified number of itinerants from homeless encampments between the bridge and the San Bernardino County line. However, it was unknown how much success they had.
There was no word on how the fires might have started. The river bottom is dotted with transient encampments, where cooking, warming and debris fire are common year-round.
Blaze breaks out in hills west of Temecula, threatening properties
A brush fire that erupted Wednesday in the hills west of Temecula scorched nearly 7 acres and threatened homes, prompting evacuations, before it was stopped.
The non-injury blaze was reported at 11:40 a.m. in the area of Sandia Creek Drive and El Prado Road, in the unincorporated community of De Luz, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said multiple engine and hand crews from the county, as well as personnel from surrounding agencies, were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a moderate rate through heavy vegetation.
Two Cal Fire air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters made a series of runs on the brusher and aided crews in establishing protective perimeters around several residences.
A mandatory evacuation was implemented in the lightly populated area, resulting in 15 homes being evacuated in the vicinity of Sandia Creek and El Prado, according to officials at the scene.
No properties were damaged.
The fire’s forward rate of spread was stopped at 2:33 p.m., and the blaze was partially contained.
Sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol officers shut down Sandia Creek between El Prado to the north and De Anza Road to the south for public safety.
Crews were expected to be on the fire lines until late Wednesday evening, mopping up.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Brush fire burning in Beaumont mostly contained
A brush fire that erupted in the Beaumont area and prompted some evacuation warnings was 95% contained Wednesday.
The fire, dubbed the Bolo Fire, was reported at 9:34 p.m. Tuesday at David Mountain Road and Bolo Court and it burned eight acres as of Wednesday evening, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
An evacuation warning was issued in the area of Bolton and Green Acres drives when the fire erupted, but it was lifted once the fire reached 70% containment by Wednesday morning.
No injuries were reported, officials said. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Flames burn Hemet house
Fire damaged a house in an unincorporated area of Hemet, authorities said Wednesday.
The fire was reported at 8:05 p.m. Tuesday in the 41000 block of Marine Drive, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Firefighters reported the single story, single family house was well involved in flames when they arrived, officials said.
The firefighters put out the fire at 8:38 p.m., officials said.
No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire was under investigation.
Single-story residential fire breaks out in Eastvale
A single-story residential fire erupted Tuesday in Eastvale, authorities said.
The fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. in the 14000 block of Alder Drive, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. It started as a kitchen fire that spread to the walls, the department said.
Firefighters responded at 11:31 a.m. and contained the fire at 11:50 a.m.
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire was not immediately available.
Firefighters douse small brush fire at park in Riverside ignited by children
Firefighters doused a little more than half acre brush fire that was ignited by children playing with fireworks at an area park in Riverside, authorities said Tuesday.
Firefighters were dispatched at 9:15 p.m. Monday to Challen Park, 4602 Challen Ave., the City of Riverside Fire Department reported.
The fire was controlled at 10:15 p.m. No injuries were reported.
“The fire was inside the park and there were not any threats to any structures,” according to a news statement. “The fire was contained at .6 acres. The fire was caused by juveniles playing with fireworks.”
Brush fire in Mead Valley burns about 7 acres
A brush fire that erupted Monday in Mead Valley burned roughly seven acres after it jumped initial containment lines and was finally stopped with the help of Cal Fire aircraft.
The Rocky Fire was reported at 2:20 p.m. south of Rocky Summit Drive, near Cajalco Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said multiple engine and hand crews from the county and several surrounding agencies were sent to the location and encountered flames moving to the east at a moderate rate through light vegetation in a field.
Two Cal Fire air tankers and a water-dropping helicopter made a series of runs on the brusher.
Crews were close to establishing containment lines when breezy conditions pushed the flames over a road in what began as a spot fire but ultimately turned into a 4-acre brusher that extended away from the main fire, according to officials at the scene.
Another half-acre spot fire started on the eastern flank of the brusher, but it was completely stopped minutes later.
No homes or other structures were threatened.
The forward rate of spread on all parts of the fire was stopped about 3:50 p.m., and the blaze in its entirety was declared 50% contained.
One firefighter fell ill while laying hose lines, exhibiting either heat exhaustion or similar symptoms and was taken to a hospital for treatment, according to reports from the scene.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Mobile home fire in Homeland kills occupant
A fire that tore through a doublewide mobile home in Homeland on Monday killed the occupant and destroyed the residence.
The blaze was reported shortly after 9 a.m. in the 26100 block of Seaforthia Palm Drive, just south of Highway 74, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said multiple engine crews were sent to the location and discovered the doublewide “fully involved” with flames.
Firefighters gained the upper hand and fully contained the blaze less than an hour later, finding the victim, whose name was not immediately released, inside the fire-ravaged trailer deceased, according to the fire department.
No surrounding properties were damaged.
Cal Fire arson investigators and sheriff’s deputies were jointly investigating.
Blaze erupts on hillside near Orange, Riverside County line
A brush fire erupted Monday on a hillside near the boundary separating Riverside and Orange counties, quickly burning three acres and snarling eastbound traffic into Riverside County.
The blaze was reported just before 10 a.m. in the area of Gypsum Canyon and Santa Ana Canyon roads in Orange County, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Multiple engine crews from the Corona Fire Department responded to a mutual aid call from the Orange County Fire Authority and Anaheim Fire Department, deploying to the location.
Within about 40 minutes, Anaheim fire officials announced that the spread of the blaze had been halted, but crews were still on the scene mopping up hot spots.
There were no reports of any structures damaged or threatened, and no injuries were reported.
The firefight was impacting traffic on the eastbound 91 and state Route 241, according to reports from the scene.
CHP officers closed the eastbound 91 transition to the southbound 241 for public safety.
Cal Fire air tankers were summoned to make runs on the blaze.
There was no immediate word on what might have triggered it.
Riverside County firefighters battle house fire in Indio
Cal Fire/Riverside County firefighters battled a house fire in Indio on Sunday evening.
The fire at the house in the 81000 block of Villa Reale Drive was reported at 9:14 p.m. and first arriving firefighters said the garage was well-involved in flames, according to the RCFD.
Firefighters put out the flames at 10:28 p.m., fire officials said.
Two adults and two cats were displaced by the fire and the American Red Cross was contacted to assist them, officials said.
No injuries were reported.
Fire damages two-story home in Beaumont
Fire on Sunday damaged a two-story home in Beaumont, authorities said.
Firefighters dispatched at 3:24 a.m. to the 35400 block of Byron Trail had the blaze contained at 5:21 a.m., the Riverside County Fire Department reported.
Firefighters were committed to the scene for approximately four hours for an extensive overhaul.
No injuries were reported.
Firefighters battle 2-acre brush fire in Blythe
Firefighters from the Riverside County Fire Department battled a brush fire in an unincorporated area of Blythe on Saturday.
The fire was reported around 2:30 a.m. near Mile Post 8 of Highway 95, north of Interstate 10, the department reported.
The blaze burned 2 acres of vegetation and several hundred bales of hay. Smoke was visible from I-10 and the surrounding area, according to firefighters.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
Blaze burns nearly 14 acres in hills on east end of Moreno Valley
A brush fire that erupted Friday in the hills on the east end of Moreno Valley scorched 14 acres and approached several homes before crews fully contained it.
The blaze was reported about 10 a.m. in the area of Lantz Lane and Ironwood Avenue, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
According to the agency, multiple engine and hand crews from the county, Hemet Fire Department and Riverside Fire Department were sent to the location and encountered flames initially moving at a slow rate through medium brush, though winds picked up within a short period, pushing the fire faster in the direction of a few residences.
Two Cal Fire air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters made runs on the brusher, aiding crews in establishing tentative containment lines.
One firefighter suffered minor smoke inhalation injuries and was taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley for treatment.
The fire’s forward rate of spread was stopped at 11:55 a.m., and it was declared 100% contained about 4 p.m.
Though they were not in imminent danger, a precautionary evacuation warning was issued that impacted scattered properties north of Ironwood, south of Locust Avenue, east of Trust Way and west of Moreno Beach Drive.
The warning was canceled two hours later.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Brush fire west of Perris fully contained
A brush fire that broke out west of Perris, scorching roughly 68 acres and destroying two homes, was fully contained last Thursday.
The Juniper Fire erupted about 2:30 p.m. June 27 near the intersection of Juniper and Santa Rosa Mine roads, between Gavilan Hills and Perris, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The fire also damaged at least two outbuildings, three cars and a recreational vehicle, officials said.
An evacuation order went into effect within an hour of the blaze starting, impacting properties south of Blue Sky Road, east of Baquero Road, west of Maywood Club Road and north of Rocky Hills Road. It was lifted Thursday night when fire officials confirmed the fire had been extinguished.
At the height of the fire, multiple engine and hand crews from the Riverside County Fire Department, Hemet Fire Department, Corona Fire Department, Murrieta Fire & Rescue and Riverside Fire Department were at the location, battling flames that moved at a rapid rate to the east amid moderate winds.
Cal Fire air tankers and water-dropping helicopters began making runs on the fire prior to the arrival of ground crews, slowing the blaze and closing off one of its flanks.
Six tankers and four helicopters were over the fire, with about 160 personnel on the ground, working to contain it Tuesday, officials said. The fire’s rate of spread was stopped at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday.
The cause of the blaze was under investigation.
Fire engulfs home near Desert Hot Springs, but no injuries reported
A fire in a one-story house in an unincorporated area near Desert Hot Springs burned for more than three hours before being fully contained last Thursday evening.
Firefighters responded at 4:16 p.m. June 29 to the 19000 block of Merganzer Road to a report of a fire that had fully engulfed a house, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. Flames were reported fully contained at 7:27 p.m., a department official said.
The American Red Cross assisted four adults and one child who were displaced
No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
