A wildfire that broke out Wednesday in Jurupa Valley damaged two homes and blackened roughly 200 acres amid gusty Santa Ana winds as crews made slow progress encircling it.
The blaze was reported about 10 a.m. in the area of Granite Hill Drive and Pyrite Street, on the north side of the Pomona (60) Freeway, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Nearly 200 personnel were sent to the location and encountered flames burning along a hillside.
With winds blowing 25-30 mph at the time, firefighters struggled to contain the brusher and called in Cal Fire water-dropping helicopters to make runs on it. Air tankers were temporarily grounded because of the winds. However, when gusts let up about 12:30 p.m., the tankers were able to return and drop retardant on the fire, forming initial containment lines.
As of 3:30 p.m., the fire was close to 10% contained, according to reports from the scene.
One civilian and a firefighter suffered minor injuries, but were not burned, according to the fire department.
A residence on Fleming Street sustained external damage from the flames, and a nearby mobile home was also damaged, but the extent of the loss was not immediately known.
Flames jumped the 60 Freeway, and firefighters and California Highway Patrol officers shut it down in both directions at Pyrite. Lanes were tentatively re-opened at noon, with officers running periodic traffic breaks to ease the miles-long congestion.
The Santiago Estates Mobile Home Park in the 3700 block of Quartz Canyon Road was placed under a mandatory evacuation order, and the Miller Progressive Care Home at 8951 was also evacuated, with some of the 75 patients immobile and requiring assistance from sheriff’s deputies to exit the facility, according to reports from the scene.
The Jurupa Unified School District evacuated students and staff from Granite Hill Elementary School, all of whom were taken to Jurupa Middle School at Agate Street for the rest of the day, according to the district.
Residences between Quartz Canyon Road to the east and Lindsay Street to the west, north of the 60 freeway, were included in the evacuation order. However, segments of the evacuation zone were downgraded to evacuation warnings, mainly west of Lindsay, north of Van Buren Boulevard and east of Wineville Road.
Two care and reception centers were established, one at Patriot High School, 4355 Camino Real, and the other at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, 7447 Scholar Way, Corona.
The Department of Animal Services was providing free board to evacuated pets, which were being accepted at the Western Riverside County Animal Shelter, 6851 Van Buren.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.