A fast-moving brush fire dubbed the Canyon Crest Fire ignited on Thanksgiving evening with evacuation warnings for parts of Riverside County. The fire, which erupted around 5:30 p.m. near Canyon Crest Drive and Weeping Willow Lane in Fontana, doubled to 85 acres in late Thursday night.
The incident was upgraded to a third alarm by San Bernardino County Fire, which initially responded to the fire, which spread uphill rapidly. Winds enhanced the spread of the fire, which remained at 0% containment as of 9 p.m. Later, the command of firefighting efforts was taken over by CAL FIRE in Riverside County.
Residents who live north of Highway 60, east of Country Village Road, south of the Riverside-San Bernardino County line, and west of Sierra Avenue were advised to evacuate. The officials directed people who required extra time to evacuate and people who had pets or livestock to evacuate immediately. A care and reception center was set up at Jurupa Valley High School, located at 10551 Belgrave Avenue.
As of 8:30 p.m., the fire officials have reported no injury or structural damage.
It is still under investigation as to why the fire erupted. As of this posting, CAL FIRE has announced evacuation warnings as indicating a substantial threat to life and property that forces people to evacuate now.
The Canyon Crest Fire is another incident demonstrating ongoing issues with Southern California wildfire management, particularly given these high winds. Agencies remain on high alert and continue to monitor the situation.
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