Firefighters Battle River Channel Blaze
Firefighters late Wednesday battled a 150-acre brush fire in the Santa Ana River channel that destroyed two structures and prompted residents to evacuate some homes.
About 18 engine crews and two bulldozers attacked the fire that stretched for nearly a mile along the channel. The cause was unknown, and there was no estimate of when the fire would be contained.
The blaze erupted about 7:30 p.m. in Santa Ana River Regional Park near Van Buren Boulevard and Jurupa Avenue, Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Cheri Mellow said.
Two unidentified structures were destroyed in the blaze, Mellow said.
Winds gusting up to 35 m.p.h. tossed embers on tinder-dry brush, sparking new hot spots. Residents used garden hoses to water down nearby hilltop homes.
The fire fed on dry brush and 30-foot-tall bamboo shoots in the river channel.
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