A fast-moving fire has burned upwards close to 200 acres of brush in Murrieta, and was 90 percent contained by lines of cleared brush, the city’s fire chief said Monday Sept. 24 at 10:30 a.m.
Via Temprano fire in Murrieta (Joe Fanaselle/SWRNN)
“Right now the wind is starting to pick up which is our biggest concern,” Murrieta Fire Chief Matt Shobert explained.
More than 150 firefighters from Murrieta, Cal Fire, Riverside County and other agencies were working the fire lines in the hilly area overnight, said Shobert.
Of those firefighters 70 are still on the scene along with 10 trucks.
Chief Shobert added they learned a primary residence off of Summer Hill Court suffered minor fire damage.
The fire — named the Temprano Fire — was reported at 4:45 p.m. near the 39300 block of Via Temprano, according to Riverside County fire officials.
“There are some damaged structures, including a fifth-wheel travel trailer and a barn-type structure, but no residences,” Shobert said.
He said the fire moved fast because the thick chaparral “hasn’t burned in decades.”
On Sunday, 100 to 200 homes were threatened and a voluntary evacuation center was opened at Vista Murrieta High School in the 28000 block of Clinton Keith Road, but Shobert said there were no takers.
“People evacuated on their own or sheltered in place,” Shobert said. The threat subsided with reduced nighttime temperatures and wind and increased humidity, he said.
No injuries were reported.
Stephanie D. Schulte is a writer/photographer with SWRNN. She can be reached at stephanie.schulte@swrnn.com.
*City News Service contributed to this report.
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