A fire that broke out Wednesday afternoon near Murrieta scorched an estimated 85 acres, and stranded school students in the area. Riverside County fire Capt. Rick Grigg said the fire was about 40 percent contained as of 8:00 p.m. Full containment is expected by midnight.
The fire is burning in the city of La Cresta, off of Clinton Keith Road, near the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve, and was reported at 1:14 p.m., according to Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department.
The fire burned at a "moderate rate" in heavy fuels, and brought 280 firefighters to the scene, according to Hagemann.
In addition, 33 engines, 6 air tankers, 4 water tenders, 2 bulldozers and 2 helicopters battled the fire.
One firefighter was evaluated by paramedics for a heat-related illness, Hagemann said.
Clinton Keith Road was closed at Bear Creek Road in Murrieta and motorists were being asked to obey barricades, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Students Stuck
The road closure affected students at Cole Canyon Elementary, Thompson Middle School and Murrieta Valley High School, according to Karen Parris, a spokeswoman for the Murrieta Valley School District.
The students were being kept at campus until parents could pick them up or buses get through, Parris said.
"There is going to be a delay in getting students home today because of the fire," she said about 3 p.m.
Power was shut off at 2:22 p.m. to 1,018 Southern California Edison customers in the Wildomar area at the request of firefighters, said Edison spokeswoman Lauren Bartlett.
