Brush Fire Burns 59+ Acres Near Murrieta, Evacuation Warnings Lifted

MURRIETA, CA — Firefighters partially contained a brush fire that ignited Thursday afternoon near Clinton Keith and Whitewood Road, officials say. As of 6 p.m., all evacuation warnings were lifted, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, and the blaze known as the Baxter Fire was 30% contained.

The brush fire ignited just after 3:45 p.m., grew to 10 acres, then ballooned to nearly 60 acres, according to Incident Command. Cal Fire/Riverside County Firefighters have joined the scene of the vegetation fire burning at a moderate rate of spread in light flashy fuels. Additional ground and air resources arrived to lend assistance to the firefight, according to spokesperson Maggie Cline De La Rosa.

During the incident, an evacuation warning was issued for Zone RVC-1896 on Genasys. That warning was lifted at 6:15 p.m.

Drivers were asked to avoid the area during the firefight.

A nearby resident shared footage of the scene with Patch. The vantage point was from French Valley, he said.