A wind-driven brush fire that broke out Tuesday north of Homeland scorched roughly 140 acres and destroyed outbuildings, as well as threatened multiple homes and a mobile home park, prompting mandatory evacuations and warnings.
The non-injury blaze was reported 12:20 p.m. Tuesday on a hillside in the area of Juniper Springs and Juniper Flats roads, north of Highway 74, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The agency said that multiple engine and hand crews from the county, Soboba Tribal Fire Department and Hemet Fire Department were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a rapid rate through medium vegetation, with three to four homes in the direct path of the brusher.
Firefighters established a defensive perimeter and prevented the brusher from impacting occupied homes, but outbuildings in the area were consumed by the fire, according to reports from the scene. Mandatory evacuations were implemented for properties scattered south of Juniper Springs Road.
An evacuation warning was declared for the Panorama Cove Mobile Home Park at 32600 Highway 74.
Sheriff’s deputies closed a segment of Juniper Flats for public safety. The highway remained open as of 1:45 p.m.
Two Cal Fire air tankers initiated runs on the wildfire by 1:20 p.m.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known.