Alamos Fire prompts evacuation orders as flames burn dangerously close to Murrieta homes

Evacuation orders were issued for some Murrieta residents after a brush fire broke out on Friday. 

The blaze, being referred to as the "Alamos Fire" was first reported a little after 3:20 p.m. near Los Alamos Hills Sports Park, which is located at the intersection of Los Alamos Road and Ruth Ellen Way, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. 

Firefighters with both Murrieta Fire Department and Riverside County Fire Department were battling the quick-burning flames via the ground and with Cal Fire water-dropping aircraft overhead, crews said. 

They say that the fire is burning at a "dangerous rate of spread" towards Whitewood Road, which runs adjacent to Vista Murrieta High School on Clinton Keith Boulevard. 

As of 4:20 p.m., the fire had quickly burned through 72 acres of brush in the area, prompting crews to issue evacuation orders for people living in zones RVC-1896, MUR-1961, MUR-1962, RVC-1963 and MUR-2028. Zones can be viewed on the Genasys Protect website.

Warnings were issued for residents in MUR-2024 and MUR-2025.

At around 6:15 p.m., firefighters reported that all evacuation orders had been downgraded to warnings as they halted forward progress of the fire.

An evacuation center was opened to those displaced by orders at Hamilton High School in Anza, which is located at 57430 Mitchell Road. 

As the fire continued to burn, Murrieta Police Department officers closed off a section of Whitewood to the public. 

Crews say that the head of the fire is pointed towards a construction site in the area, which is surrounded by open space. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. 

No injuries have been reported and firefighters have not disclosed if any structures have yet been damaged by the flames.