Brush Fire Chars 11 Acres Near RivCo Airport, Firefighter Injured: Cal Fire

PERRIS, CA — Fire crews stopped the spread of a brush fire that erupted Thursday afternoon in Perris less than a mile away from the airport after charring 11 acres and injuring a firefighter, officials said.

The blaze was reported around 1:45 p.m. near Celebration Lane and River Road, just west of the Perris Valley Airport, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Multiple engine crews from the county and Riverside Fire Department responded to the fire and encountered flames moving at a slow rate through medium brush, spreading toward a home located at the bottom of a hill, fire officials said.

Firefighters established hose lays halfway around the brusher shortly after 2 p.m., protecting the residence from damage, according to reports from the scene.

One firefighter suffered unspecified injuries, possibly heat stroke amid triple-digit temperatures across the region, and was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation and
treatment.

The fire's forward rate of spread was halted at 3:15 p.m., and an hour later, it was more than 50 percent contained.

Full containment was expected by nightfall.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

City News Service contributed to this report.