A brush fire that erupted Wednesday in Woodcrest scorched roughly three acres and threatened several homes, as well as prompted a road closure, before it was stopped.
The non-injury blaze was reported at 4:25 p.m. Wednesday in the area of Mockingbird Canyon Road and Pennington Place, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said multiple engine and hand crews were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a moderate rate to the east, threatening residential properties in the 16900 block and 17100 block of Mockingbird Canyon.
Firefighters immediately established defensive perimeters to protect the houses, which weren’t damaged.
Two Cal Fire air tankers and a water-dropping helicopter initiated runs on the brusher just after 5 p.m., slowing its advance. The fire’s forward rate of spread was stopped shortly before 6 p.m., and all aircraft cleared the scene.
Full containment was anticipated by 8 p.m.
Sheriff’s deputies shut down Mockingbird Canyon, between Mariposa Avenue to the south and Van Buren Boulevard to the north, for public safety.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.