murrieta

300-Acre Liberty Fire Reaches 100 Percent Containment

A wildfire that broke out just northeast of Murrieta amid strong Santa Ana winds was 100 percent contained Saturday after scorching 300 acres and destroying a hilltop home and other buildings.

Murrieta Fire Department officials said they expected full containment of the non-injury "Liberty Fire" by 8 p.m. Saturday.

The blaze was reported at 1:15 p.m. Thursday in the area of Liberty and Los Alamos roads in an unincorporated community bordering French Valley, Murrieta and Winchester, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Along with a single-family home, six outbuildings have been lost to the flames, according to the fire department, though the wildfire hasn't increased in size since Thursday evening.

All evacuation orders were lifted as of 10:45 a.m. Friday, according to the MFD.

The fire prompted the Southern California Air Quality Management District to issue a smoke advisory through Sunday morning for Lake Elsinore and the Temecula Valley, which includes the cities of Wildomar, Murrieta and Temecula.

SCAQMD warned people in the affected areas near the fire zone to avoid outdoor activity due to the unhealthy air.

A red flag warning denoting a high risk of wildfire stemming from strong winds and low humidity was issued for the region through Sunday night.

Winds in the area were expected to gust as high as 25 mph on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

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