A fire that erupted Wednesday in a homeless encampment where crews encountered hostile transients on the southern edge of Jurupa Valley scorched just under an acre before firefighters contained it.
The non-injury blaze was reported at about 12:35 p.m. near the intersection of Baldwin and Limonite avenues, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said multiple engine crews from the county, Corona and Riverside fire departments were sent to the location and encountered flames raging in a debris pile and the remnants of an RV, sending up a large column of black smoke.
As firefighters attempted to run hose lines toward the blaze, several transients reportedly became aggressive, attempting to physically disrupt the firefighting operation, at which point crews requested help from sheriff’s deputies.
Patrol deputies arrived within a couple of minutes and dispersed the malcontents, according to reports from the scene.
There were no reports of arrests, and no evacuations were ordered.
The flames reached a line of palm trees and threatened a construction site before crews gained the upper hand, fully containing the fire by 1:45 p.m.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.