Cleveland National Forest Fire Near Lake Elsinore: Evacs Lifted

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A wildfire erupted Thursday on a mountainside in the Cleveland National Forest southwest of Corona, and as of 8 a.m. Friday had burned 45 acres with 50 percent containment, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

The acreage change — the blaze was previously reported at 51 acres by the agency — was due to updated mapping.

The non-injury "Skyline Fire" was reported about 4:40 p.m. Thursday along the Skyline Trail, less than a mile west of Foothill Parkway, inside the forest, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.

The flames burned up to some backyards, but no structures were damaged.

According to the Corona Fire Department, evacuations were ordered along Clearing Circle, Meandering Way, Burrero Way, Corbett Street, and Overland Lane. At 9:15 p.m. Thursday, the evacuations were lifted. Corona High School, located at 1150 W. 10th St., was serving as an evacuation center.

The Corona Police Department had closed Trudy Way and Foothill Parkway to traffic.

Crews from Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the Anaheim and Corona fire departments, the U.S. Forest Service and the Orange County Fire Authority all helped battle the blaze. Firefighters had numbered 275, and two Cal Fire air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters were summoned.

The fire burned through the night because of the inaccessibility of the terrain. Air crews are also grounded at nightfall.

There was no immediate word on how the fire started.