A brush fire in the San Bernardino National Forest east of Anza was 80% contained Saturday at 1,671 acres, with all evacuation orders reduced to warnings and some evacuation warnings lifted.
“Crews continue to mop up and patrol,” Riverside County Fire Department officials said Saturday evening. “The fire activity remains minimal, limited to isolated smoldering in heavy dead and downed fuels.”
Damage inspection teams were in the area to identify damage to any structures, fire officials said.
The fire was reported at 12:25 p.m. Monday on the north side of Highway 74 at Santa Rosa Truck Trail. The brusher’s size had not changed since Wednesday afternoon, and there were no reports of structures damaged.
As of Saturday afternoon all mandatory orders were converted to warnings, enabling residents in the area north of the Santa Rosa Truck Trail, east of Santa Rosa Road, south of Saint Pierre Road and west of Palm Canyon Drive to return to their properties at their convenience.
The closure of Highway 74 from Palm Desert to Anza was also lifted, according to the Cal Fire. Travelers were advised to drive safely near the area as emergency crews continued working.
“As you return home, you may see smoke or fire due to unburned pockets of fuel within the fire’s perimeter,” the Riverside County Fire Department said in a statement intended for those previously in the evacuation zones.
At the fire’s peak, more than 1,000 firefighters were engaged. However, as of Saturday afternoon, crews were being released and Cal Fire air tankers were no longer involved in operations.
County officials said multiple engine and hand crews from Cal Fire, U.S. Forest Service, Palm Springs Fire Department and other agencies were sent to the location Tuesday and encountered flames moving at a moderate rate to the north through heavy vegetation.
CHP officers shut down both sides of Highway 74 between the junction at Highway 371 in Anza to the west and the area around the Big Horn Golf Club, just south of Palm Desert, spanning almost 25 miles.
A care and reception center remained available at the Anza Community Center, 56630 Highway 371, and impacted residents continued to have the option of leaving their pets, free of charge, under the supervision of staff at either the Coachella Valley Animal Campus at 72-050 Pet Land Place in Thousand Palms, or the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus, 581 S. Grand Ave.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.