Brush Fire Contained Along SR-60 In Moreno Valley's Badlands

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A brush fire that broke out Thursday near the Moreno Valley (60) Freeway in the Badlands east of Moreno Valley consumed four acres before it was stopped.

The non-injury blaze was reported at 1:20 p.m. by motorists on the eastbound 60, just west of Gilman Springs Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

According to the Riverside County Fire Department, multiple engine crews and at least one Cal Fire water-dropping helicopter were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a slow rate across open space.

Crews stopped the brusher's spread shortly after 2 p.m., and by 2:30 p.m., it was completely contained.

The Badlands, which encompasses a three- to four-mile stretch between Moreno Valley and Beaumont, is sparsely populated, with rugged, hilly terrain.

The CHP shut down the off-ramp to Gilman Springs from the eastbound 60 for public safety, diverting traffic. However, the ramp was reopened at 2:35 p.m.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. —City News Service

ORIGINAL NOV. 2, 2023, POST:

A brush fire burning Thursday afternoon along state Route 60 in the Badlands was under assault by firefighters — on the ground and in the air — working to quell the blaze.

The brusher, dubbed the Spring Fire, was reported at 1:30 p.m. Thursday by motorists traveling the eastbound 60, just west of Gilman Springs Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Shortly before 2 p.m. the law enforcement agency reported that fire crews were attacking the blaze using aircraft and the Gilman Springs Road offramp was closed.

Traffic was back up in the area.

No injuries have been reported due to the fire.

The Badlands, which spans a four- to five-mile space between Moreno Valley and Beaumont, is sparsely populated, marked by rugged, hilly terrain.

There was no immediate word on how the fire started. —Toni McAllister, Patch