Firefighters are currently battling a wildfire that sparked in Jurupa Valley on Wednesday afternoon. The blaze, dubbed the “Oak Fire,” was first reported around 2:02 p.m. on the 7100 block of Sierra Avenue, according to CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department.
The fire rapidly expanded to approximately 35 acres, burning light flashy fuels at a fast pace. As of now, the fire has zero percent containment. However, by 4:30 p.m., crews were successful in halting the forward spread of the blaze.
Video footage captured by Sky5 showed flames and heavy smoke billowing from a hillside area located between the 60 and the 10 Freeways. Multiple air tankers and helicopters are currently dropping water and fire retardant on the flames, alongside ground crews striving to contain the fire’s spread.
Evacuation orders were issued for the area near Alder Avenue and south of Jurupa Avenue on the San Bernardino County side. An evacuation warning is also in place for all areas northwest of Armstrong Road, northeast of Sierra Avenue, and south of Jurupa Avenue between Sierra Avenue and Alder Avenue.
No injuries have been reported so far. Teams from the San Bernardino County Fire Department, CAL FIRE, and the Riverside County Fire Department are on the scene working to combat the fire. Over the past two weeks, Riverside County has battled multiple large wildfires, including the Rabbit Fire, Reche Fire, and Highland Fire.
Given the high temperatures and dry conditions, officials are urging the public to avoid igniting fireworks or open-air burning to prevent further fire ignition. This wildfire underscores the pressing challenges of fire prevention and containment in the current hot and dry conditions.