Brush Fire South Of Banning Reaches Full Containment

BANNING, CA — Firefighters reached full containment Saturday of a brush fire that erupted Monday on a mountainside south of Banning amid Santa Ana winds, scorching roughly 25 acres.

The non-injury blaze was first reported at 3:40 p.m. Monday in the area of Wolfskill Truck Trail and Old Idyllwild Road, on the fringes of the Morongo Indian Reservation and the San Bernardino National Forest, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Multiple engine and hand crews from the county and U.S. Forest Service were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a moderate rate upslope, away from homes and other structures at the foot of the mountain.

Six Cal Fire air tankers and four water-dropping helicopters initiated runs on the brusher within 30 minutes of the report. They ceased making drops just after 5 p.m. Monday, when darkness fell.

By that time, crews were establishing tentative containment lines around the blaze, which slowed significantly as the northeast winds dissipated.

After overnight containment efforts, the department released an update shortly after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday noting the fire was 87% contained and that "firefighters would continue working diligently throughout the day to ensure strong containment lines."

The fire didn't impact Highway 243, which was located less than a mile to the east of the fire.

The cause of the blaze remained under investigation.

— City News Service