Wolf Fire In Banning: Containment Grows, Cause Determined

UPDATE 9 P.M.: Fire officials say all evacuation warnings have been lifted in connection to the Wolf Fire. It remains at 75 acres, and is now 80 percent contained.

Original story below:

BANNING, CA — Firefighters reached 50 percent containment Friday afternoon for the Wolf Fire that has burned 75 acres south of Banning. The fire prompted some evacuation warnings for residents of Banning and Beaumont on Thursday.

The cause of the Wolf Fire was shooting, Cal Fire investigators revealed Friday afternoon. Investigators are assuming the blaze was ignited by accident, and anyone with information about people seen in the area during the start of the fire is urged to contact the Riverside County Arson Hotline at 800-633-2836.

The fire was first reported just after 5 p.m. Thursday in the remote area of Wolfskill Truck Road, near Silver Creek Drive, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. Within 90 minutes, the blaze had burned 50 acres, the fire department reported.

Late Thursday night, the fire department announced evacuation warnings for South Highland Springs, south of Interstate 10 and west of South Highland Home Road, including the Sun Lakes and Four Seasons communities.

"These residents should go now," the fire department said.

Many of the homes in the same area remain under alert that the power may be cut if Southern California Edison decides the risk of more fires sparking from powerlines is too great.

You can check the latest on the warnings and find out if your home is affected by clicking on the map below, which will take you to an interactive site run the by County of Riverside.