Murrieta's Baxter Fire Reaches 100% Containment: Wildfire Awareness

MURRIETA, CA — Cal Fire/Riverside County and Murrieta Fire and Rescue firefighters fully contained the brush fire that scorched nearly 60 acres in unincorporated Riverside County Thursday evening.

The blaze, dubbed the Baxter Fire, was reported at 3:25 p.m. Thursday in the 35200 block of Avenida Manana, near the area of Baxter Road and Kingsnake Avenue, just east of Interstate 215, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. The blaze was 30% contained three hours later, and all evacuation warnings were removed.

Fire officials announced Friday morning that the fire was fully contained overnight, and crews would be checking for any remaining hot spots within the containment lines throughout the morning.

According to reports from the scene, five Cal Fire air tankers and a water-dropping helicopter began dropping water on the brush fire at 3:50 p.m. Thursday, significantly slowing its spread.

An evacuation warning for homes west of Briggs Road and south of Keller Road was lifted at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. No road closures were in place. A full evacuation was never implemented during this incident. Riverside County residents are reminded to plan ahead, know their evacuation zone and escape routes, and prepare a list of what they would bring in case of future evacuation warnings.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Related:

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