A brush fire that was ignited Monday along the banks of the dry Santa Ana River bottom amid stiff Santa Ana winds was quickly contained by crews despite burning near heavy vegetation.
The non-injury Mission Fire was reported at 2:15 p.m. in the 4600 block of Ladera Lane, just east of Mission Inn Avenue, according to the Riverside Fire Department.
The agency said five engine crews and a truck company, numbering about 20 personnel, were sent to the location and encountered flames burning at a slow rate toward a Boy Scout camp fronting the river bottom.
Northeasterly winds were gusting to 25 mph at the time, but firefighters encircled the fire in 20 minutes, according to Battalion Chief Mike Allen.
“The fire was quickly extinguished,” he said.
Roughly a quarter acre was burned. None of the surrounding structures sustained damage.
“It was determined that the fire was incendiary in nature and human caused,” Allen said.
No suspects were immediately identified. The fire department’s arson unit was assigned to the investigation.
The river bottom is rife with transient encampments, and cooking, warming and debris fires are common throughout the year.