Brush Fire Ignites 20+ Acres In The Santa Ana River Bottom In RivCo: Cal Fire

JURUPA VALLEY, CA — A brush fire that erupted Tuesday in the Santa Ana River bottom in Jurupa Valley charred about 25 acres and threatened homes, prompting mandatory evacuations.

The non-injury blaze was reported at 11:22 a.m. Tuesday on the north side of the dry channel, in the area of Bain Street and Limonite Avenue, just north of the Hidden Valley Nature Center, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Subscribe

The agency said that numerous engine and hand crews from the county and Riverside Fire Department were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a moderate rate through thick brush.

By 12:40 p.m., the flames were spreading rapidly toward a groups of homes in the area of Arlington and Western avenues in Riverside, leading to evacuation orders for dozens of homes around that intersection, including along Sunnyvale Drive, Western Avenue and Western Hills Drive.

Several Cal Fire air tankers and water-dropping helicopters were summoned to the location, but due to limited availability, most of the requested aircraft had not reached the area as of 12:50 p.m., according to reports from the scene.

The fire's potential growth, if unchecked, was gauged at 80 acres, officials said.

There was no word on what might have triggered the brusher. The river bottom is teeming with homeless encampments, and debris, cooking and warming fires occur year-round.

—City News Service

Original post:

JURUPA VALLEY, CA — A brush fire that ignited Tuesday in Jurupa Valley quickly charred and ballooned into a fire that has burned 20 acres of riverbottom land, with potential for 50 acres as crews pushed through heavy vegetation to reach the flames.

Shortly after 11:15 a.m., firefighters were called to the scene of the non-injury blaze on the north side of the dry channel, in the area of Bain Street and Limonite Avenue, just north of the Hidden Valley Nature Center and the Santa Ana River Wildlife Area, according to the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

Multiple engine and hand crews from both Cal Fire and the Riverside Fire Department arrived at the location to encounter flames moving at a moderate rate through thick brush.

No homes or other structures were immediately threatened.

As of 11:45 a.m., two Cal Fire air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters were summoned to the location, though no runs had been initiated.

No evacuation orders appeared imminent.

The fire's potential growth, if unchecked, was gauged at 50 acres, according to reports from the scene.

There was no word on what might have triggered the brusher. The river bottom is a known location of multiple homeless encampments, and debris, cooking and warming fires occur year-round.