A fire that erupted Thursday in a green waste pile near an Idyllwild trash dump scorched about a half-acre of grass but was stopped before spreading into the surrounding mountain wilderness.
The non-injury blaze was reported about 10:30 a.m. in the 28100 block of Saunders Meadow Road, near the Idyllwild Transfer Station, just east of Highway 243, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Multiple county and U.S. Forest Service engine crews were sent to the location and encountered flames burning in the mulch, threatening to break out into the wildland area amid 10 to 15 mph winds, according to reports from the scene.
Firefighters managed to encircle the blaze within 20 minutes, stopping its forward rate of spread shortly after 11 a.m.
No structures were damaged.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.