Evacuation orders have been issued in Lake Elsinore as about 300 firefighters battle a wildfire that broke out Friday in a dry and brushy area, officials said.
The fire, called the Vista Fire, was reported at 4:20 p.m. near El Toro Road, north of the Riverside County city, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. As of 6 p.m., the fire had spread to 141 acres and was not contained, according to Cal Fire’s Riverside County Unit, while multiple ground and air resources worked to contain it.
Evacuation orders are in effect north of Highway 74, south of Ethanac Road and east of El Toro Road, while an evacuation warning is in effect for adjacent areas. There may be a map of evacuation alerts seen here.
According to Cal Fire, three helicopters, 28 engines, nine hand crews, two water tankers and two bulldozers have been assigned to extinguish the fire.
Light and variable winds of 5 to 10 mph are expected in the area, with gusts up to 20 mph expected by the evening, according to the National Weather Service.
Riverside County firefighters are also on scene at the nearby Palomar Fire, which broke out just after 1 p.m. near Palomar Street in the city of Wildomar, according to Cal Fire. The 11-acre fire was 90% controlled by 6 pm.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
