Brush Fire Breaks Out, Then Is Contained, Along 91 Fwy In RivCo

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA -- A brush fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon alongside the 91 Freeway in Corona scorched an acre-and-a-half and forced the closure of a railroad line and the partial closure of a freeway transition ramp, according to the Corona Fire Dept.

The non-injury blaze was reported at 4:05 p.m. along the eastbound 91, just east of the 71 Expressway transition, according to Corona Fire.

Multiple engine crews from Corona and the Riverside County Fire Department were sent to the location, encountering flames between the freeway and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line, just north of Palisades Drive.

The fire was confined to a limited burn space, thanks to concrete barriers created by the freeway and Palisades, according to reports from the scene.

No homes or businesses were evacuated, and the blaze was fully contained by 5:25 p.m.

The California Highway Patrol shut down the southbound 71 transition to the eastbound 91 to make room for first responders. A Sigalert was issued at 4:50 p.m. because of congestion stemming from the closure.

The BNSF line was also taken out of service, bringing all rail traffic, including Metrolink commuter trains, to a halt, authorities said.

As of 5:30 p.m., the line was still closed, but was expected to re-open by 7 p.m.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

City News Service contributed to this report.