A fire broke out Thursday in a Moreno Valley neighborhood at the end of a stolen vehicle pursuit involving sheriff’s deputies that apparently ended with a crash.
The blaze was reported about 4:10 p.m. in the area of Bay and Phyllis avenues, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Just prior to the fire, deputies had been chasing a suspect at the wheel of an allegedly stolen car, which may have careened into a house. Sheriff’s deputies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Firefighters converged on the location within a few minutes and encountered two homes in flames, along with an outbuilding, according to reports from the scene. The fire spread into a field between Phyllis and Cottonwood avenues, officials said.
A battalion chief at the scene said that houses on Bernie, Ella and Phyllis avenues were evacuated, either because of the fire or a related public safety threat.
American Red Cross personnel were summoned to assist residents displaced by the evacuation.
The scene remained active, with additional fire crews arriving, as of 5 p.m.