A pair of fires that erupted Tuesday near railroad tracks in Jurupa Valley scorched, altogether, seven acres and threatened homes and railroad tracks before crews stopped them.
The non-injury blazes were reported about 3 p.m. along Pedley Road, between 56th Street and Van Buren Boulevard, near the Pedley Metrolink station, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Multiple engine and hand crews from the county, Riverside and Ontario fire departments were sent to the area and encountered flames in two separate locations, within a couple of blocks, the Riverside County Fire Department reported.
Several homes were threatened in the 6000 block of Pedley Road, but the threats were mitigated by 3:45 p.m. Residents north of Limonite Avenue and east of Pedley Road were asked to shelter in place. The sheriff’s department activated its reverse 911 system to send messages to impacted residents.
The railroad line serving Metrolink commuter traffic and freight trains was in the path of one of the fires, and officials requested that operators approach with caution, but the tracks were not shut down.
Two Cal Fire air tankers and a water-dropping helicopter made runs on the fires, finishing their work about 4 p.m.
The forward rate of spread on the blaze at the south end of Pedley Road was stopped at 3:40 p.m., and the fire was contained soon afterward, while the other blaze was contained a half-hour later.
Sheriff’s deputies closed Pedley Road between 56th Street and Van Buren Boulevard for public safety.
The cause of the fires was not immediately known.