This is a developing story and will be updated.
A fast-moving wildfire burning in the Santa Ana River bottom between Jurupa Valley and Riverside has grown to more than 800 acres Tuesday, forcing evacuations and injuring four civilians.
The blaze, dubbed the Bain Fire, started around 11 a.m. near the border of Riverside and Jurupa Valley. Firefighters from multiple agencies responded as flames spread through heavy vegetation in the river bottom.
Captain John Clingingsmith with CAL FIRE said hundreds of firefighters were assigned to the incident.
"There are 31 fire engines, overhead, hand crews…multiple aircraft are attacking from all sides, from both the ground and the air," Clingingsmith said.
Clingingsmith said four civilians were injured, including three people suffering from smoke inhalation and one person with a traumatic injury. No firefighter injuries or structural damage had been reported as of Tuesday evening.
Fire crews temporarily grounded firefighting aircraft after reports of drones flying near the fire zone.
"What they need to remember is that if they're flying their drones, we can't fly our aircraft," Clingingsmith said. "So we are asking the public to please refrain from flying their drones…so that way we can continue to fight this fire."
Mandatory evacuation orders remained in place Tuesday evening for portions of Riverside near the fire area. Residents were urged to prepare the "four P's" — prescriptions, people, pets and papers — and sign up for emergency alerts.
A second wildfire, the Verona Fire near Homeland had burned about 200 acres as of 5 p.m. Tuesday and remained 0% contained. The cause of both fires remains under investigation.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District warned that smoke from the Bain and Verona fires could push air quality in parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" category or worse Tuesday night.
Air quality officials advised residents near smoke impacts to stay indoors with windows and doors closed, avoid strenuous outdoor activity and use air conditioning or air purifiers if possible. Officials also recommended wearing a properly fitted N95 or P100 mask outdoors if smoke conditions worsen.
Conditions are expected to improve somewhat Wednesday in areas not directly adjacent to active fire zones, depending on fire activity and weather conditions.
Evacuation Shelters
La Sierra Senior Center
5215 La Sierra Avenue, Building A
Riverside, CA 92505
