A brush fire that broke out Tuesday south of Highway 371 in Anza consumed nearly 75 acres before Cal Fire aircraft initiated runs on the blaze, slowing its advance.
The non-injury fire was reported at 12:25 p.m. near the Cahuilla Casino Hotel at Highway 371 and Homestead Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said that multiple engine and hand crews were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a rapid rate to the southeast, burning onto a hillside by the time the first Cal Fire air tankers reached the scene.
A total of six tankers and four water-dropping helicopters were requested, though as of 1:20 p.m., only two tankers were overhead.
The fire was moving away from the casino grounds, and no homes or other structures were immediately threatened. However, evacuation warnings impacting the few scattered properties in the remote location were anticipated Tuesday afternoon.
No roads were closed.
There was no word regarding what might have triggered the fire. The area has been plagued by re-occurring summertime brushers for the last several years.