A brush fire burning in Mecca since Friday nearly doubled in size overnight, though firefighters made some progress, upping the containment level to 68 percent Sunday.
The blaze’s size ballooned from 285 to 564 acres since Saturday afternoon, as fire crews worked to strengthen containment lines.
The fire was first reported at 2:10 p.m. Friday in the area of Avenue 68 and Lincoln Street, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Initially, some homes were evacuated temporarily with the assistance of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, officials tweeted, but the evacuation order was lifted Friday evening.
By Saturday, it seemed that crews were gaining the upper hand on the fast-moving blaze, which was burning in six- to eight-feet deep mulch piles, an agency spokesperson said, though two firefighters sustained minor injuries.
However, gusty conditions may have played a factor in the fire’s growth overnight.
Fire officials said a helicopter, along with 27 engine crews, four water tender crews and a bulldozer operator — numbering about 115 personnel — were battling the fire.
There was no word on what triggered the fire.