A pre-dawn fire that erupted Monday in the Santa Ana River bottom scorched roughly five acres before it was stopped.
The non-injury blaze was reported at 12:15 a.m. in the dry channel, near the intersection of Jurupa Avenue and Tyler Street, according to the Riverside Fire Department.
Battalion Chief Scott Richmond said nine engine crews from the city and Riverside County Fire Department were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a slow rate in medium brush.
“Units made access to the fire and initiated direct fire attack for perimeter control,” Richmond said.
No homes or other structures were threatened.
He said the blaze spread into the county’s jurisdiction before it was completely contained about two hours later.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Transient encampments are scattered throughout the river bottom, and cooking, warming and debris fires are common year-round.