Firefighters worked Saturday to put out a 40-acre brushfire in the community of Oasis, south of Thermal.
The so-called 72 Fire was reported at 3:34 p.m. as two to three acres off Highway 86 at Avenue 72 but quickly grew to five to seven acres, the Riverside County Fire Department reported.
The flames were moving westward into a mulch field pushed by 10-15 mph winds and gusts of 20 mph, fire officials said. No structures were threatened.
At 5:38 p.m., fire officials reported the blaze had grown to about 40 acres in heavy fuels with a moderate rate of spread, but that crews were making progress at gaining control.
Firefighters from Cathedral City and Palm Springs were assisting in the effort.