A fire that broke out in Riverside, California on July 21 has resulted in the destruction of three homes and the damage to other structures, as confirmed by fire officials.
The Riverside Fire Department responded to a brush fire around 1 p.m. on Sunday and upon arrival in the Hawarden area, located about 5 minutes south of downtown Riverside, they found flames spreading rapidly through vegetation, stated Deputy Fire Chief Steve McKinster.
The wildfire has affected approximately 1,500 residents in the surrounding area and had expanded to around 527 acres by Monday morning.
Residents residing on Eagle Crest Court, Chartwell Drive, Horace Street, Hawarden Drive, Berry Road, and Via Vista were evacuated. However, evacuation orders were lifted by Monday afternoon. The city set up an evacuation center at the Orange Terrace Community Center for those impacted by the fire.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and is currently under investigation by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as CalFire.
An assessment team and arson task force are currently on-site assessing the affected areas of the fire, including reports of fireworks that may have contributed to the blaze, as mentioned by city officials.
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Fire departments from Riverside, Orange County, and San Diego are providing assistance in combating the fire, while members of the Riverside Police force are safeguarding evacuation zones.
There are currently 21 fire engines and two hand crews at the scene, working on creating fire lines and defensible spaces to contain the fire’s spread.
Police patrols are ongoing in the area and within the evacuation zones.
The fire is currently 90 percent contained, with over 2,000 firefighters working to extinguish it as of Monday.
Fire incidents continue across the state, especially in Southern California, which is experiencing another heatwave. Temperatures soared between 90 to 120 degrees over the weekend, with nighttime temperatures remaining in the 70s, as reported by AccuWeather.
The heat is expected to persist in the interior regions of Southern California throughout the week, according to the National Weather Service.
Thunderstorm activity is also predicted to increase on Tuesday in inland areas, as mentioned by the National Weather Service.
