Vegetation And Debris Fire Continues To Burn In Coachella

COACHELLA, CA — What started as a 1,000-square-foot blaze grew to a 15-acre wildfire in Coachella Saturday.

The Riverside County Fire Department received a report of the vegetation fire at 1:06 p.m. Friday at the intersection of Avenue 52 and Fillmore Street.

Emergency responders arrived to find an approximately 1,000-square- foot area on fire involving brush, heavy fuels, tires and debris.

About three hours later, the blaze had grown to 10 acres and continued to burn overnight into Saturday morning, when it was measured at 15 acres, according to the most recent update from officials.

The California Highway Patrol initially closed Fillmore Street between Avenues 52 and 53 due to the fire, but the road has since reopened.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

—City News Service