A wildfire that broke out Friday afternoon in hills east of Moreno Valley scorched roughly five acres before crews got it partially contained.
The non-injury blaze was reported at 3:45 p.m. between Gilman Springs Road and Jack Rabbit Trail, south of the Moreno Valley (60) Freeway, in a rugged area known as the Badlands, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Multiple engine crews and several Cal Fire air tankers were sent to the location, which was virtually inaccessible to vehicles, encountering flames moving to the northeast in light vegetation.
The tankers and a water-dropping helicopter made repeated runs on the brusher, nearly halting its progress while firefighters trekked into the hills, according to reports from the scene.
Crews made steady progress encircling the flames after 90 minutes, when the fire’s forward rate of spread was halted. No homes or other structures were threatened.
California Highway Patrol officers partially shut down Gilman Springs at Alessandro Boulevard, where fire trucks were parked on the narrow corridor. However, the closure lasted less than an hour.
Crews were expected to have the fire under control by 8 p.m., according to a battalion chief at the scene.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.