Evacuation warnings were expanded Monday as a brush fire south of Banning that has scorched roughly 1,400 acres continued to burn without containment.
Earlier Monday morning, fire officials said the blaze that began just after 3 p.m. Sunday at Old Banning Idyllwild Road and Wolfskill Truck Trail was 10% contained, but they later indicated there was no containment on the fire.
“Firefighters made good progress over night. Multiple aircraft, along with hundreds of firefighters on the ground, will continue to establish containment lines. Evacuation orders and warnings remain in place,” according to a Riverside County Fire Department update Monday morning.
Evacuation orders were issued for an area south of Interstate 10, with evacuation warnings expanded for areas bordering the interstate.
Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the state flew fire suppression missions.
There were 70 engines, four helicopters, three water tenders, two dozers, six hand crews and about 300 personnel assigned to the fire, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
An evacuation shelter was established at Hemet High School, 41701 Stetson Ave., and an animal shelter at the Riverside County Department of Animal Services’ San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus, 581 S. Grand Ave.
Three firefighters have sustained non-life-threatening injuries, a fire department spokeswoman told KNX.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.