SoCal Fires Latest: Homes Remain Evacuated As Thousands Of Acres Burn

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A total of four wildfires continued to tear through brush in Riverside County, with the largest at 7,600 acres — a blaze that nearly doubled in hours as it tested firefighters' must late into Saturday night.

Altogether nearly 9,000 acres across the county were scorched between Friday and Saturday, while the largest — dubbed Rabbit Fire — was only 5% contained at 7,600 acres just before 9 p.m. on Saturday, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials said.

The Rabbit Fire, initially reported at about 3:30 p.m. near the intersection of Alessandro Boulevard and Jack Rabbit Trail in the unincorporated community of Lakeview, had consumed 3,300 acres with 0% containment as of 5:30 a.m. Saturday, officials said.

One man was injured and later hospitalized, CBS news reported.

The Reche Fire broke out shortly before 5 p.m. Friday.

It continued to burn at a "moderate to rapid rate of spread" in flashy fuels near the boundary separating Riverside and San Bernardino counties and initially took down about 385 acres, before slowing down, officials said.

Four hundred and thirty-seven acres were razed and a home destroyed by Saturday as the fire was 50% contained just before 9 p.m.

The Highland Fire was reported around 3 p.m. on Friday along Highland Springs Avenue and Sunningdale Street, near Breckenridge Avenue, in Beaumont, officials said.

By 9 p.m. on Saturday, it had scorched 105 acres and was only 70%contained.

Officials initially reported the fire had scorched 225 acres, but later decreased the affected area after more accurate mapping.

Engine and hand crews from several departments, including the Soboba Reservation Fire Department, were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a "critical rate," according to the fire officials.

The flames were on the outer rim of the subdivision between Highland Springs to the west and Sunningdale Street to the east, and an evacuation order for those residences was issued shortly after 4 p.m. on Friday, but were lifted several hours later at 9 p.m.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

A fourth fire — dubbed the Gavilan Fire — broke out around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, spreading quickly from 5 to 30, and then 150 acres, officials said.

It had expanded to 250 acres by just before 9 p.m. and was only 25% contained.

Evacuation orders for the areas near the Rabbit, Reche, and Gavilan fire remained in place as of Saturday night. The evacuation area near the Rabbit Fire expanded Saturday afternoon.

City News Service contributed to this report.