Two wildfires that broke out within a mile of each other in Riverside County on Wednesday quickly merged and spread to at least 331 acres as of 3:21 p.m., officials said.
Originally dubbed separately as the Dale Fire and the Bradford Fire, the Riverside County Fire Department told KTLA that the flames intertwined in the brush of Aguanga, located in the Inland Empire region of the county.
Now referred to only as the Dale Fire, crews first reported the flames at 12:34 p.m. near Lugo Road and Highway 371. The vegetation was burning at a moderate rate of speed, and crews called for additional resources to help slow the spread.
Although crews are “making good progress on the fire’s perimeter,” according to the fire department, an array of evacuations remain in the following areas:
- North of Tule Peak Road
- West of Eagle Nest Court
- South of Highway 371
- East of Bradford Hills Road
Fire officials issued evacuation orders for the following zones: RVC-TULE1, RVC-TULE2, RVC-TULE4, RVC-TULE6, RVC-TULE7, RVC-TULE8, RVC-2327, RVC-LAKERIVERSIDEESTATES4, RVC-TABLEMT4, RVC-TABLEMT5 and CBI-CAHUILLA-1.
In addition, evacuation warnings have been issued for the following zones: RVC-TULE3, RVC-TULE5, RVC-2369, RVC-2280-B, RVC-TABLEMT3 and RVC-TABLEMT6.
Click here for an interactive map of the evacuation zones. CAL FIRE said an evacuation shelter has been established at the Anza Community Center, located at 56630 Highway 371, Anza.
In addition, an animal shelter has been set up at the Riverside County Department of Animal Services, located at 581 S. Grand Avenue, San Jacinto, CA 92582.
The California Highway Patrol closed Highway 371 in both directions.
Sky5 is en route to the scene and will bring you live updates once overhead.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, according to CAL FIRE.
This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA for updates.