A brush fire in Aguanga has burned over 1,096 acres east of State Route 371 and into the Cahuilla Reservation with containment over the weekend reaching 95%, fire officials said Monday.
The Dale Fire was one of two brushers that erupted after lightning strikes less than a mile apart and increased to from about 300 to 1,072 acres by early Thursday morning, according to Cal Fire.
“Suppression repair crews will continue working through the coming days to close out the fire and fire crews will finish griding the interior of the fire and seeking out any last hidden smoldering pockets,” Cal Fire reported Monday morning.
The fire prompted evacuations, caused a highway closure and destroyed structures in a sparsely populated area.
The non-injury wildfires were reported around 12:35 p.m. Wednesday — the Dale Fire in the area of Riverdale Drive and State Route 371, and the second blaze nearly a mile to the south at Bradford Road and Gelding Way, officials said.
Multiple engine and hand crews from Riverside County and nearby agencies were dispatched to the area and found fast-moving flames from the larger brush fire along Riverdale Drive.
At least two structures, possibly vacant outbuildings, were consumed by the flames, officials said. The second fire at Bradford was slower but also damaged two to three buildings, burning about 3 acres before firefighters stopped its forward progress shortly before 2 p.m. and achieving 100% containment less than an hour later.
Three water-dropping helicopters and numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the state continued flying fire suppression missions Friday, with 766 personnel involved in the firefight, 24 crews, 58 engines, seven dozers and 16 water tenders, Cal Fire reported. Those numbers decreased dramatically Monday with containment nearly full — 318 personnel, 18 engines, eight hand crews, 10 water tenders and four dozers.
On Thursday morning, personnel battling the Dale Fire totaled 358, with three helicopters, 42 engines, 12 crews, nine dozers and 11 water tenders, according to Cal Fire.
On Wednesday, seven Cal Fire air tankers and three helicopters initiated runs on the Dale Fire. The flames continued progressing toward Cahuilla Creek Motocross and the Cahuilla Casino Hotel, both south of State Route 371, east of the fire.
All evacuation orders and warnings were lifted Monday morning, according to Cal Fire.
Evacuation orders initially were implemented by sheriff’s deputies for the race track, remote properties southeast of the Lake Riverside Estates community and other areas south of SR 371. Properties in and around the Cahuilla Indian Reservation were under evacuation orders and warnings.
The orders and warnings were in effect until Saturday for the area north of Tule Peak Road, west of Eagle Nest Court, South of State Route 371 and east of Bradford Hills Road.
On Saturday, the evacuation order and warning zones shrank considerably and were limited to areas at the fire’s perimeter for orders and parts of the Cahuilla Reservation subject to evacuation warnings.
A care and reception center for evacuees was established at the Anza Community Center, 56630 Highway 371. The Riverside County Department of Animal Services was accepting evacuated pets at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus, 581 S. Grand Ave, but on Monday that facility ceased emergency operations and is back to normal business operations and hours, officials said.
Both sides of the highway were shut down for about 7 miles between the casino turnoff at Homestead Road to the east and Barbara Trail to the west, but as of Thursday State Route 371 was open in all directions, authorities said.
The cause of the Dale Fire was under investigation.
Updated July 21, 2025, 10:00 a.m.
