A wind-driven brush fire broke out Tuesday north of Homeland and quickly burned through nearly 10 acres, with flames moving fast on a hillside in the Juniper Springs and Juniper Flats roads area.
The blaze was reported at 12:20 p.m., and by 12:55 p.m. two Cal Fire air tankers had been requested but had not yet reached the area. The Riverside County Fire Department said multiple engine and hand crews were sent in as the fire moved at a rapid rate through medium vegetation. Crews were trying to build a defensive perimeter ahead of the flames, while sheriff’s deputies closed streets for public safety. Three to four homes were in the direct path of the fire.
The verona fire was described as non-injury, and the cause was not immediately known. The location north of Homeland, in Riverside County, put crews in a race against wind and terrain, with the immediate goal to keep the flames from reaching the homes in front of them.
What happens next is whether crews can hold that line before the fire grows beyond the first 10 acres already scorched Tuesday afternoon.
