Small Brush Fires Burn Along I-15 In Murrieta, Wildomar

Murrieta CA

03 August, 2021

4:46 PM

Description

SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Small brush fires that erupted Tuesday afternoon along Interstate 15 in Murrieta and Wildomar slowed traffic in the area and forced temporary evacuations, but no injuries were reported. The separate blazes on the righthand shoulder of the northbound side of the freeway were reported around 1 p.m. The first broke out between Murrieta Hot Springs and Cal Oaks roads in Murrieta, and then moments later small blazes were reported near Wildomar Trail. The Murrieta fire was confined to freeway landscaping, but the Wildomar blazes — dubbed the Baxter incident — sent off large amounts of smoke as the flames burned weeds and litter next to the freeway. Nearby homes were threatened in Wildomar, and an evacuation order was in place for residents south of Wildomar Trail, east of Interstate 15, north of Peggy Lane and west of Bayless Road, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department. The order was lifted just before 2 p.m. "Residents may return home," the agency said. "Please use caution when re-entering the area and yield to fire and law enforcement personnel and equipment working in the area. The Baxter fire burned a little over 6 acres and was 75 percent contained as of 3:30 p.m. "Resources will remain on scene as they work to fully contain the fire," Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department reported. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department and Murrieta Fire & Rescue crews tackled the blazes. The cause of the fires is unknown. A shirtless man seen walking along the freeway was being questioned, but there was no word that he was a suspect. The cause of the fires is under investigation.