Evacuations lifted after 71-acre brush fire breaks out in Riverside County
Firefighters evacuated dozens of homes in Riverside County after a 71-acre brush fire broke out in the midst of a scorching heat wave on Friday — orders which were lifted the following morning.
According to Riverside County Fire Department officials, the Hills Fire was first reported a little after 2 p.m. near Juniper Flats Road and Mapes Road in Homeland. 3 p.m. Saturday, firefighters managed to get it 98% contained and mandatory evacuation orders were no longer in place.
When the fire started, it quickly grew to torch 71 acres, with both ground and air resources working to control the blaze from reaching nearby homes.
No injuries have been reported, but firefighters said they evacuated between 20 and 30 homes on nearby Falcon Crest Drive. Before being later lifted, evacuation orders were announced for those living north of Falcon View Lane, south of Juniper Flats Road, east of Alicante Drive and west of Minton Road.
A care and reception center was set up at Tahquitz High School, located on 4425 Titan Trail, in San Jacinto.
Firefighters reduced the evacuation order to a warning later on Friday night before canceling it completely the next morning.
Early reports from firefighters indicated that the blaze had engulfed around 100 acres, but a more precise mapping after the flames were extinguished revealed a lesser total.
