A brush fire that erupted Thursday on the north end of Anza, at the foot of the San Bernardino National Forest, scorched 32 acres and destroyed trailers and vehicles before it was stopped.
The non-injury blaze was reported at 12:12 p.m. Thursday in the area of Howard and Old Ranch roads, two miles north of Highway 371, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said that multiple engine and hand crews from the county, the U.S. Forest Service and Hemet Fire Department were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a moderate rate to the north with multiple structures threatened.
Four Cal Fire air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters initiated runs on the brusher around 12:45 p.m., significantly slowing its progress, enabling crews to begin digging containment lines.
The flames damaged two single-wide trailers and two cars, but there was no word on whether anyone was displaced.
At 2:15 p.m., the fire’s forward rate of spread was stopped, and all air tankers returned to their bases. As of 4:30 p.m., the blaze was 40% contained.
Ground crews were expected to continue fortifying containment lines through the night.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.