Crime & Safety
See Map: Most Evacuation Orders Downgraded To 'Warnings' For Brush Fire Burning Near Murrieta
The blaze, dubbed the Volcano Fire, was reported just before 3 p.m. Tuesday.
MURRIETA, CA — Crews were making progress Tuesday night on the brush fire burning along the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve, near the La Cresta community, just outside Murrieta city limits.
As of 8:30 p.m., nearly all mandatory evacuations due to the 200-acre Volcano Fire were downgraded to evacuation warnings. The status on evacuations can be found at rivcoready.org/know-your-zone
As of 8:30 p.m., there was 25% containment on the non-injury fire, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Capt. John Clingingsmith Jr. No structure losses were reported.
Crews will work overnight, including two water-dropping helicopters. Firefighters are expected to remain at the scene over the next few days to bring the blaze under full control, Clingingsmith said.
Several road closures remained in place Tuesday night: Tenaja Road between Avocado Mesa and Avenida La Cresta, and Los Gatos at Carancho Road. Only residents with identification will be allowed to pass.
An evacuation shelter was established at Chaparral High School, 27215 Nicolas Road, in Temecula. Pets are allowed.
A large animal evacuation shelter was in place at the Murrieta Equestrian Center, 42646 Juniper Street.
The fire was reported at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday near Via Volcano and Tenaja Road, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokesperson Maggie Cline De La Rosa.
Santa Rosa Plateau communities affected by the fire include La Cresta, La Cresta Highlands, Meadow Oaks, Santa Rosa West, Tenaja, and The Trails. The area is rural/semi-rural with several equestrian and livestock properties.
According to Cal Fire's incident page, 187 personnel were working the blaze as of 7:30 p.m. Additional air and ground resources were requested, Cline De La Rosa said.
Video below shows crews working on the fire. (Video provided by Jeff Jordan):
Wind conditions, steep terrain, high temperatures, and heavy fuels made Tuesday's firefight challenging, according to Clingingsmith.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Clingingsmith said that many plateau residents have done an excellent job at reducing brush on their properties, and he encouraged people to continue keeping the fuel at bay. However, he asked that residents do the work before 10 a.m., when conditions are cooler and humidity is higher, and keep a water source on hand just in case.
Assisting Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department in Tuesday's firefight were the Pechanga Fire Department; Murrieta Fire Department; Corona Fire Department, Riverside County Emergency Management Department; the Riverside County Sheriff's Department; Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire Department; and U.S. Forest Service crews.
