Exhaust System Touches Off Fire
A truck’s hot exhaust system touched off a 35-acre grass fire Sunday afternoon on a mostly undeveloped hill in north-central Norco.
The driver of a Chevrolet Suburban “was attempting to negotiate Beacon Hill and got stuck,” said acting Fire Chief Patrick Murphy. The truck’s exhaust system ignited the dry grass covering the hill.
His truck was destroyed in the blaze but the driver escaped without injury. He was, however, cited for trespassing by Riverside County sheriff’s deputies, Murphy said.
The flames threatened a mortuary on Hamner Avenue on the east side of Beacon Hill but firefighters from Norco and the California Department of Forestry held the blaze back.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
