A brush fire alongside the 10 Freeway in the unincorporated Whitewater area scorched about 12 acres of terrain Wednesday and led to lane closures, but no structures were threatened and no injuries were reported.
The fire was initially reported by a caller who witnessed “really bad” smoke shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday near the freeway, according to California Highway Patrol records.
Located west of the Whitewater exit, the fire started to affect visibility by 1:15 p.m. as smoke wafted over the freeway, according to the CHP.
Multiple freeway lanes, in addition to the on- and off-ramps at Whitewater, were shut down for at least two hours. One lane remained closed shortly before 3:30 p.m., according to an Riverside County Fire Department statement.
Riverside County fire crews halted the spread of the fire by roughly 3:30 p.m., but crews remained on the scene to douse lingering hotspots and ensure no flare-ups occurred.