2nd Fire Breaks Out On Highway 79 South Of Beaumont, Road Closed Again

BEAUMONT, CA — A second brush fire was burning Tuesday night in the area of Highway 79 south of Beaumont, forcing another Sigalert for the roadway.

The blaze, dubbed the Manzanita Fire, was reported at 4:25 p.m. on northbound Highway 79 near Gilman Springs Road. Just before 6:30 p.m., Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department announced the 15-acre blaze was 50% contained.

"Firefighters continue working near the roadway and will remain on-scene for a minimum of three more hours," the agency said in the 6:30 p.m. update.

Northbound Highway 79/Lamb Canyon remained closed at Gilman Springs Road, and there was no access from San Jacinto northbound to Beaumont. The California Highway Patrol reported the closure was expected to be "long-term."

No homes were immediately threatened by the non-injury fire.

The blaze is the second reported Tuesday along Highway 79. The earlier incident, dubbed the Lamb Fire, was reported just before 10:30 a.m. It burned 13 acres in the area of Lamb Canyon Road before firefighters got a handle on it. The non-injury blaze, which was fully contained at approximately 5:30 p.m., also forced a Sigalert and closure of Highway 79. The road was partially reopened by late afternoon.

However, not long afterward, the Manzanita Fire forced another full closure of northbound Highway 79 lanes. A Sigalert was issued just before 5 p.m.

The causes of the blazes are under investigation.