Firefighters Still Working on Prado Fire Containment

By City News Service:

A fire that’s charred 1,020 acres in the Prado Basin north of Corona since Saturday was 75 percent contained late Tuesday afternoon.

• Hundreds of Firefighters Work to Contain ‘Highway Fire’ Near Prado Dam
• Smoke from Prado Dam Blaze Prompts Air Quality Advisory

The “Highway Fire” appeared to have burned to a standstill, but authorities were still uncomfortable providing an estimate on when it would be declared fully contained.

The blaze broke out about 6:15 p.m. Saturday near the interchange for the Corona (71) Expressway and the Riverside (91) Freeway. An unattended campfire was to blame for igniting the fire, according to Riverside County Fire Department Capt. Liz Brown.

On Saturday night, flames got within feet of homes north of Corona Municipal Airport, along Bluff Street, Homestead Road and Stagecoach Road, prompting a precautionary evacuation that ended Sunday morning.

At the height of the blaze, more than 650 firefighters were battling the flames. The number of people on the fire lines has since been scaled back and now consist largely of inmate hand crews working in the dense vegetation.

– Image via https://twitter.com/DailyBulletinCA

Also on Patch:

• Eyes on the Skies, Lake Elsninore & Wildomar : Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week
• Desert Water Agency Approves Tighter Mandatory Water Restrictions
• County to Pay $650,000 to Suspected Horse Thief Beaten by Deputies on Camera