Sunset Fire burns 50 acres near I-10 in Riverside County
Riverside County firefighters were able to quickly contain a small brush fire currently burning near the 10 Freeway in Banning.
The fire, being called the Sunset Fire, was reported just after 3 p.m. near Sunset Avenue and W. Westward Avenue, just south of I-10, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
They say that the blaze is burning at a "slow to moderate rate of spread." It was first reported to be around five acres, but quickly grew to consume more than 50 acres as of 4:30 p.m.
#SunsetFIRE [UPDATE] 4:23 p.m. - The fire is 50 acres, burning at a slow rate. No evacuations or injuries reported.
— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) September 9, 2024
Some water-dropping aircraft are assisting with the battle.
At around 4:40 p.m., crews reported that they were able to stop the fire's forward progress and that they would remain in the area for several hours to mop up the situation.
No evacuations were ordered.
This is just the latest in a long string of brush fires to break out in Southern California in the midst of a sweltering heat wave, joining the 20,000+ acre Line Fire, the Bridge Fire that has burned more than 1,200 acres in the Angeles National Forest and the Airport Fire that erupted in Orange County on Monday, forcing evacuations.