Fire Threatens Perris Treatment Plant, Forces Rail Line Closure

PERRIS, CA — A brush fire that erupted Monday near a water treatment plant and a commuter rail line in south Perris scorched about an acre and prompted authorities to temporarily stop rail service for public safety.

The non-injury blaze was reported at 11:35 a.m. in the area of Bonnie Drive and Mapes Road, just west of Interstate 215, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Multiple engine crews encountered flames confined to a field between the Metrolink tracks and an Eastern Municipal Water District sewage treatment facility, according to reports from the scene.

A battalion chief requested that train traffic be halted as a safety precaution. Because heavy smoke was drifting across nearby Case Road, reducing visibility, sheriff's deputies briefly shut down the corridor.

By noon, crews were close to fully containing the brusher.

The cause was under investigation.

— By City News Service