A brush fire in the Badlands southwest of Calimesa that has burned nearly 3,100 acres and prompted evacuation orders and warnings was 84% contained Friday morning, the Riverside County Fire Department reported.
The Shore Fire was reported initially at 3:23 p.m. Monday in a sparsely populated area close to Lake Shore Drive and San Timoteo Canyon Road, officials said. The terrain in the fire zone is difficult to negotiate on foot, and the blaze increased from 2,600 acres Tuesday to 3,085 acres as of Wednesday morning.
The fire’s acreage remained steady into Thursday as “ground crews and dozer operators made significant progress overnight establishing and strengthening containment and control lines around the fire perimeter,” Cal Fire reported. “Increased relative humidity and a persistent marine layer contributed to favorable firefighting conditions and supported suppression efforts.”
Firefighters on the scene Tuesday and Wednesday totaled 255 with air, engine and hand crews from the county, Hemet Fire Department, Palm Springs Fire Department and Cal Fire-San Bernardino County. Firefighting efforts were focused on the north side of the rugged terrain stretching between Interstate 10 to the north and the Moreno Valley (60) Freeway to the south.
On Thursday, personnel increased significantly to 749 and dropped to 583 Friday.
Cal Fire released the following statement Wednesday:
“Ground crews made significant progress overnight constructing and strengthening containment lines, laying hose around the fire perimeter, and monitoring interior hotspot activity.
“(Wednesday), firefighters will continue strengthening containment lines and ensuring hotspots remain within the fire perimeter. Interior islands of vegetation will continue to burn within the established fire area and may produce visible smoke columns throughout the day.”
The statement also encouraged motorists “to use alternate routes when possible. While Highway 60 remains open, fire activity and ongoing firefighting operations may impact traffic in the area. Please use caution and remain alert for firefighters, heavy equipment, and emergency vehicles entering and exiting the incident.”
The fire had burned 120 acres of vegetation by approximately 5 p.m. and 500 acres as of 6 p.m. Monday, Cal Fire reported.
An evacuation order was issued at 6 p.m. for the area with scattered residential and commercial properties on the perimeter of the fire bordered by San Timoteo Canyon Road and the 60 Freeway resulting in an immediate threat to life, the Riverside County Fire Department announced.
An evacuation order at 7:12 p.m. was in effect for the adjacent area between San Timoteo Canyon Road and the 60. All evacuation warnings and orders remained in effect through Thursday, according to Cal Fire.
On Friday, however, an evacuation warning remained in effect for the Shore Fire perimeter only, officials said. All other evacuation orders and warning were canceled.
For evacuation zones and maps, go to go.genasys.com/ehbqun.
An evacuation center for area residents and their pets was set up at Valley View High School in Moreno Valley. Evacuees with large animals can take them to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus in San Jacinto.
The 60 freeway was shut down Monday night for several hours, officials said.
Information on road closures is available from the California Highway Patrol’s website.
The fire had expanded to 1,500 acres with zero containment by 8:15 p.m. Monday and reached 2,053 acres by 12:04 a.m. Tuesday with 20% containment, according to Cal Fire.
Two Cal Fire water-dropping helicopters and five air tankers started fighting the fire by 4:20 p.m. The state agency’s contract Very Large Air Tanker, or VLAT is a large plane, usually a DC-10 or Boeing 767, that can carry more than 8,000 gallons of water, was requested Monday afternoon.
The cause of the fire was not known, according to Cal Fire.
Updated June 19, 2026, 10:36 a.m.
