Crews Halt Brush Fire Near Lake Mathews

LAKE MATHEWS, CA — A brush fire that broke out Tuesday on a hillside just north of Lake Mathews charred a little over 10 acres before surrounding roads and quick action by crews stopped it.

The non-injury blaze was reported at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday in the area of Citrus Heights Drive and Minneola Avenue, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The agency said multiple engine and hand crews from the county and Riverside Fire Department were sent to the location and encountered flames burning at a slow rate across open space, bumping into roads.

Several Cal Fire air tankers were summoned but did not initiate runs on the brusher because firefighters were able to establish hose lays, relying on the roads as natural fire breaks.

The fire's forward rate of spread was halted at 2:20 p.m.

No homes or other structures were damaged.

Minneola was shut down by sheriff's deputies for public safety.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.