Brush Fire Scorches 100 Acres Near Temecula: Evacuation Warning

TEMECULA, CA — A brush fire broke out near Temecula Friday afternoon and quickly blackened roughly 101 acres, prompting evacuation orders, and left two firefighters injured before it was stopped.

Eight Cal Fire air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters made runs on the brusher, enabling crews to begin digging tentative containment lines out ahead of the brusher. Its forward rate of spread was stopped at 4:25 p.m

All tankers returned to their bases shortly afterward, with only the two choppers making targeted drops.

Containment was minimal late Friday afternoon, but full containment was expected over the weekend.

The fire is burning east of Temecula on a hillside near Pauba and Los Caballos roads, north of Highway 79, according to the as of 2:15 p.m., according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The blaze was first reported at about 1:30 p.m. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find wind whipping the flames uphill. The terrain consists of light, flashy fuels, according to the fire department.

Two firefighters collapsed while digging lines, suffering apparent heat stroke, according to reports from the scene. They were both taken to Temecula Valley Hospital in stable condition.

Fire department commanders issued an evacuation order for the Vail Lake Resort and the Butterfield Lake Estate as the flames approached, but the order was downgraded to a warning as firefighters made progress against the blaze Friday evening. An evacuation warning was in effect for the area north of Highway 79, south of Avenida Bravura, east of Anza Road and west of Wilson Creek.

Searchable maps depicting the impacted locations were available at https://linktr.ee/calfirerru.

Sheriff's deputies closed Pauba between Highway 79 to the south and De Portola Road to the north for public safety.

The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

City News Service contributed to this report.