A brush fire ignited in mountain foothills in Riverside County on Wednesday afternoon, quickly growing to 331 acres and prompting evacuation orders in nearby rural communities, authorities said.
The Dale fire was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m. by Lugo Road and Highway 371 in Aguanga, according to the Riverside Unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The blaze was initially burning at a moderate rate of spread and crews were making good progress on the fire’s perimeter at 3:15 p.m., according to Cal Fire Riverside.
Residents living in areas of Lake Riverside, Aguanga, Anza and the Cahuilla Reservation close to the fire were ordered to evacuate, while those slightly farther away were placed under evacuation warnings. A map of the communities affected by the orders is available here.
A care and reception center was opened for affected residents at the Anza Community Center, at 56630 Highway 371 in Anza. An animal evacuation center was established at the Riverside County Department of Animal Services, at 581 S. Grand Ave. in San Jacinto.
There were 216 firefighting personnel, 37 engines, four dozers, four water tankers and two helicopters assigned to the incident, according to Cal Fire. The fire was 0% contained as of 6 p.m.
The temperature was in the mid-80s with winds gusting to 10 mph at the time the fire ignited, according to the National Weather Service.
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