Springs Fire Now At 75 Percent Containment, Many Evacuation Orders Lifted

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Crews continued to make progress on Saturday containing a brush fire that prompted multiple evacuation orders after it broke out a day earlier in Riverside County.

As of 11:15 a.m. the Springs Fire was 75 percent contained and was still holding at 4,176 acres, according to Cal Fire officials.

The fire is located in a populated unincorporated part of Riverside County that's a recreational area near the city of Moreno Valley, which has a population of roughly 200,000.

The Springs Fire was first reported around 11 a.m. Friday in the 15900 block of Gilman Springs Road. Fueled by Santa Ana winds in the region, the blaze was about 50 acres in size during its first hour before growing to around 1,000 acres by 1 p.m., according to officials.

By 6:45 p.m., the fire had reached 4,176 acres, where it remained Saturday morning.

While gusts up to 45 mph were predicted on Saturday. Terra Fernandez, public safety information specialist for the Riverside County Fire Department, told The Associated Press that winds had “dissipated a bit” since Friday, helping the efforts of fire crews.

“We’re feeling confident. The winds have died down so it’s assisting us in making more progress," she said.

Fernandez also credited efforts to build and strengthen containment lines around the fire perimeter.

“We have natural equestrian trails around where a lot of the structures are, and so that helps our firefighters make access,” she said. “And the humidity increasing this evening will also help.”

Crews began Saturday dropping water and retardant all around the fire by air. About 260 personnel are battling the blaze, including crews from around the region who are building and strengthening the containment lines and laying hose.

So far, no damage or injuries have been reported.

As of 10:30 a.m. Saturday, about a half-dozen zones remained under mandatory evacuation orders, while evacuation warnings in other parts of the county were lifted.

See the affected zones here. Residents can also use this link to search if their address is affected: https://protect.genasys.com/search

An evacuation shelter was opened at Valley View High School, located at 13135 Nason St. in Moreno Valley. Animals were being received at San Jacinto Animal Shelter, located at 581 S. Grand Ave. in San Jacinto.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.

With reporting by Lisa Finn / Patch.