A brush fire erupted Friday in a canyon north of Moreno Valley during the first day of a scorching heat wave and threatening residential properties as crews deployed to the location.
The blaze was reported about 1 p.m. in the area of Reche Canyon Road and High Country Drive, near the boundary separating Riverside and San Bernardino counties, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
The fire had burned some 437 acres with 60% containment as of Sunday.
The agency said that multiple engine and hand crews from Riverside County and Cal Fire-San Bernardino County were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a moderate rate through medium brush.
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At least one home and outbuildings were in the path of the brusher, which was moving to the southeast amid light winds, according to reports from the scene.
The area is lightly populated, with both single-family houses and mobile homes.
Cal Fire air tankers and water-dropping helicopters were summoned to make runs on the blaze.
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An evacuation order that had been placed south of Reche Canyon Road, from Reche Vista Drive to Locust Avenue, was later reduced to a warning. A Care & Reception Center is being established at Valley View High School, 13135 Nason Street, Moreno Valley 92555.
California Highway Patrol officers were conducting traffic control in the area due to the large amount of public safety equipment. It was not immediately clear whether Reche Canyon Road might be shut down.
Details about the cause were not immediately available.
