Firefighters began their third day battling a massive brush fire in the Lakeview area Sunday, with containment of the 7,600-acre Rabbit Fire rising to 10%.
The fire remained active overnight, burning in tall grass and brush, according to the Riverside County Fire Department, which added that extreme heat, steep terrain and difficult access continued to hamper firefighters.
Evacuation orders were in place for Lambs Canyon Landfill and the area east of Jack Rabbit Trail, south of First Street, west of California Avenue and Highway 79, according to Cal Fire.
Evacuation warnings were issued for north and west of Highway 79, south of First Street and east of California Avenue.
Highway 79 (Lambs Canyon) was closed from Gilman Springs to California Avenue, Gilman Springs was closed from Alessandro Boulevard to Highway 79, and Bridge Street was closed from Gilman Springs Road to Ramona Expressway.
An evacuation center was set up at Beaumont High School, at 39139 Cherry Valley Blvd. Small animals were being accepted at the high school, while large animals were being received at the San Jacinto Animal Shelter, at 581 S. Grand Ave.
Anyone needing assistance with animal evacuations was asked to call the Riverside Department of Animal Services at 951-358-7387.
The fire was reported at about 3:25 p.m. Friday in the area of Jack Rabbit Trail and Alessandro Boulevard, just east of Mystic Lake and roughly halfway between Moreno Valley and San Jacinto, according to the fire department.
A man suffered burn injuries at the onset of the fire, with some reports indicating the person might have been in or near a vehicle that caught fire. The victim was taken to Riverside University Health System-Medical Center in Moreno Valley for treatment
As of Sunday morning, 152 structures were threatened by the fire, although none had been damaged so far, according to officials. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
As a result of the fire and a few others burning in Riverside County, the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a smoke advisory that was later extended through at least noon Monday.
AQMD officials urged people to limit exposure by remaining indoors with windows and doors closed, avoiding strenuous physical activity, using air conditions rather than swamp coolers or fans that bring in outside air, avoiding burning wood in fireplaces and fire pits, and wearing respirator masks while outdoors.