San Timoteo Canyon Fire Blackened 70 Acres

Photo credit: Tod Sudmeier/Cal Fire Riverside

By City News Service

Two fires burned in San Timoteo Canyon, north of Moreno Valley and south of Redlands, Sunday.

But county firefighters said a second, afternoon brushfire that blackened seventy acres of grassland was not apparently related to a locomotive fire in the same general area earlier in the day.

A Union Pacific train caught fire at 11:13 a.m. at San Timoteo Canyon and Viper roads, north of Moreno Valley, according to spokeswoman Jennifer Fuhrman at the Riverside County Fire Department.

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A cable that broke and became wrapped in a locomotive is believed to be the cause of the fire, Fuhrman said.

Firefighters contained that fire at 11:35 a.m., Fuhrman said. No injuries were reported.

Union Pacific closed its tracks for an indeterminate period of time.

At 1:52 p.m., a second blaze was called in from near San Timoteo Canyon Road and Redlands Boulevard.

Unconfirmed radio reports indicated that the fire had a potential for 500 acres, with no threat to structures.

Riverside County Firefighters worked with San Bernardino County Firefighters to combat the blaze.

The fire burned at a moderate rate in medium to light grass, said Fuhrman. No injuries were reported.