All evacuations were lifted for the 628-acre Hill Fire, with officials saying the fire was 30% contained Wednesday evening.
Firefighters battled the wildfire in the Riverside County community of Jurupa Valley that damaged two homes, forced evacuations and temporarily shut down the 60 Freeway.
The Hill Fire was reported around 10 a.m. near the intersection of Granite Hill Drive and Pyrite Street, in Jurupa Valley. The initial size was estimated at 10-15 acres, but the fire rapidly advanced to 200 acres amid roughly 20 mph winds.
The wildfire was burning amid "erratic winds" at a rapid rate of spread, according to Cal Fire Riverside. Nearly 200 personnel -- both on the ground and in the air -- struggled to contain the brusher, which eventually jumped the 60 Freeway.
One person was taken to a hospital with minor injuries. By Wednesday afternoon, at least one mobile home and one residential structure had been damaged, according to Cal Fire Riverside.
Mandatory evacuations are in place for:
- Santiago Estates Mobile Home Park, located at 3700 Quartz Canyon Road
- Bravo Estates Mobile Home Park, located at 4080 Pedley Road
- West of Pyrite St., east of Pedley Road and north of Mission Boulevard
- East of Lindsay, north of Galena, west of Pyrite to 60 Freeway
- East of Grapevine, south of Philadelphia
- North of Jurupa, south of Galena, east of Bain, west of Pedley
- North of Mission, west of Grapevine, south of Philadelphia
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The 60 Freeway was temporarily closed in both directions in the area. The freeway reopened shortly after noon, but drivers were encouraged to use alternate routes.
The Jurupa Unified School District evacuated students and staff from Granite Hill Elementary School, all of whom were taken to Jurupa Middle School at Agate Street for the rest of the day, according to the district.
By 4 p.m., fire crews had stopped the spread and the fire remained at 200 acres, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. The fire was 10% contained.
[[309060151, C]]
Evacuation centers for people affected by the Hill Fire were set up at Patriot High School, located at 4355 Camino Real in Jurupa Valley, and Eleanor Roosevelt High School, located at 7447 Scholar Way in Corona. Patriot High School can house small animals if needed.
The Western County Animal Shelter, located at 6851 Van Buren Blvd. in Jurupa Valley, is accepting large and small animals.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
The Hill Fire was one of several wildfires burning in Southern California Wednesday amid some of the strongest Santa Ana winds in a decade. Click here for full coverage of brush fires across the state.
