Firefighters faced a challenging battle against a swiftly advancing wildfire in Southern California on Friday, which prompted evacuations for some residents and led to the temporary closure of a local community college.
The Springs Fire ignited around 11 a.m. and rapidly expanded to approximately 6.5 square miles by the evening.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, which erupted east of Moreno Valley in Riverside County. The exact number of households affected by evacuation orders or warnings was not immediately clear.
By Friday night, hundreds of firefighters, supported by helicopters, engines, and water tenders, had begun to make progress in containing the flames.
The fire was raging in a sparsely populated, unincorporated area of Riverside County, known for its recreational spaces, near the city of Moreno Valley, which has a population of about 200,000.
Moreno Valley is situated 10 miles southeast of Riverside and 64 miles east of Los Angeles.
“It’s windy out there,” said Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Riverside County.
Alex Izaguirre, a spokesperson for the Cal Fire Riverside County, said the wind is “spreading the smoke,” prompting concerned calls from residents in neighboring cities who can see and smell it.
Moreno Valley College’s main campus was shuttered Friday and Saturday due to the fire impacting the air quality.
“All students, faculty, and staff are being directed to leave campus immediately,” the school said in a post on Instagram.
California US Rep. Raul Ruiz said in a social media post that he was closely monitoring the blaze.
“If you are under an evacuation order, please leave immediately,” he said.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys through Saturday afternoon, with gusts of up to 50 mph expected.
“Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the advisory read.
