The Shore Fire in the Badlands southwest of Calimesa had burned at least 2,600 acres and reached 25% containment by 10 a.m. Tuesday, a sharp shift from the zero-containment report that greeted motorists and residents on Monday. State Route 60 westbound reopened at the Interstate 10 interchange after closing overnight.
That update matters because the fire had already forced evacuation measures, closed roads and pulled in crews from across the region. Cal Fire said motorists should expect delays and stay alert for firefighters, law enforcement personnel and heavy equipment working in the area, while residents and drivers could still see smoke and occasional flare-ups.
The blaze was first reported at 3:23 p.m. Monday near Lake Shore Drive and San Timoteo Canyon Road, where flames were moving northward at a moderate to rapid rate in gusty afternoon winds. By then, an evacuation order and nine evacuation warnings had been issued, and the Riverside County Fire Department said multiple engine and hand crews from the county, Hemet Fire Department, Palm Springs Fire Department and Cal Fire-San Bernardino County were sent to the scene.
Air support arrived quickly. Two Cal Fire water-dropping helicopters and five air tankers had begun runs on the fire by 4:20 p.m. Monday, and Cal Fire's contract Very Large Air Tanker was requested that afternoon. The westbound 60/10 interchange was shut down Monday night, San Timoteo Canyon Road between Redlands Boulevard and Lake Shore was ordered closed, and portions of Beaumont were under an evacuation warning zone.
The fire's cause was not immediately known, and the smoke that lingered Tuesday was tied to interior hotspots and pockets of unburned vegetation still smoldering inside the fire perimeter. That means the immediate crisis eased by morning, but the scene remained active enough that road conditions and fire behavior could change again without much notice.
