A brush fire that erupted Monday in Mead Valley scorched almost 600 acres and threatened rural properties, requiring mandatory evacuations and warnings, as well as road closures.
The non-injury Juniper Fire was reported at 11:20 a.m. Monday in the area of Ann Way and Juniper Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said that multiple engine and hand crews from the county, U.S. Bureau of Land Management and other agencies were sent to the location, encountering flames moving at a moderate rate amid light brush to the southeast.
Mandatory evacuations were in effect south of Idaleona Road and north of Santa Rosa Mine Road Road, with warnings issued throughout the area between Juniper to the west and Post Road to the west.
Firefighters established defensive perimeters around multiple outlying homes, where sheds, outbuildings and numerous abandoned vehicles were parked, according to reports from the scene. There were no reports of damage as of 2:30 p.m.
Shortly after 2 p.m., the fire split in two, with both heads pushing to the southeast amid winds blowing 10 to 15 mph, gusting to 20 mph, according to officials.
Five Cal Fire air tankers and three water-dropping helicopters were making runs on the dual-headed brusher, which as of 2:30 p.m., they had prevented from jumping Santa Rosa Mine, where sheriff’s deputies were enforcing a hard closure.
The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately known.