A brush fire that erupted on the north edge of Banning scorched about 40 acres Friday, burning into the San Bernardino National Forest, near a lightly populated area, prompting an evacuation warning.
The non-injury blaze was reported just before noon in the area of Bluff Street and Mias Canyon Road, adjacent to the Banning Sportsman’s Club, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Multiple engine and hand crews from the county, U.S. Forest Service, Morongo Indian Reservation, Corona Fire Department and other agencies were sent to the location and encountered flames moving to the east at a rapid rate.
Three Cal Fire air tankers and a water-dropping helicopter initiated runs on the brusher, slowing it down and enabling crews to begin establishing containment lines.
However, there was no defined containment as of 2 p.m.
The fire department issued an evacuation warning for the area north of Sunnyslope Cemetery, west of Hathaway Canyon Road and east of Bluff, as well as the around Banning Bench. There are properties scattered throughout the area, but the fire was burning into rugged terrain within the national forest.
The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known.