2 Inland Empire Fires Scorch 8,100 Acres

Two brush fires were burning in the Inland Empire late Friday--a 4,600-acre blaze between Corona and Lake Elsinore along Interstate 15 and a 3,500-acre fire near Redlands in San Bernardino County.

The Riverside County fire was started Thursday afternoon by a 13-year-old boy who was playing with fire and was expected to be contained early today, said Joanne Evans, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry in Perris.

The fire was being fought by 700 firefighters in rough, hilly terrain. There were no injuries and the only structural damage was the loss of a camper shell, she said.

The Redlands fire was started Friday afternoon by a spark from a lawn mower and quickly grew to encompass more than 3,500 acres, said spokeswoman Yukie Sogi. It was 20% contained by late Friday.