Four people were killed Monday and four injured in a three-vehicle fiery wreck in Nuevo that also triggered a brush fire.
The collision occurred at 2:20 p.m. at the intersection of Bridge Street and Gilman Springs Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Multiple engine crews were sent to the location and encountered three vehicles in flames, with fire extending into the surrounding vegetation.
Four victims perished in the fire. Four others suffered minor to serious injuries and were taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley for treatment.
Firefighters deployed into the brush and requested assistance from Cal Fire aircraft to make runs on the blaze. The forward rate of spread was stopped in an hour, and the brusher was fully contained by 4 p.m., consuming four acres, according to reports from the scene.
California Highway Patrol officers and sheriff’s deputies shut down both sides of Gilman Springs while the wreckage was cleared and a preliminary investigation was conducted. The closure spanned Alessandro Boulevard to the north and Highway 79 to the south — a roughly five-mile stretch.
A SigAlert was issued due to the closure, which was impacting southbound traffic out of Moreno Valley and northbound traffic out of San Jacinto.
It was unclear when the road would be reopened.
The cause of the collision was not immediately known.