Small Brush Fire Keeps Crews Busy in MoVal

MORENO VALLEY (CNS) – A fire broke out Friday in the Lake Perris State Recreation Area in Moreno Valley, burning less than a quarter acre in thick vegetation that hamstrung firefighters as they tried to access the site. The non-injury blaze was reported about 11:35 a.m. in the area of Moreno Beach Drive and Via Del Lago, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. The agency said that multiple engine crews were sent to the location and encountered flames spreading slowly through a large spot of vegetation. Firefighters were unable to immediately reach the blaze or stretch hoses to it because of the terrain and overgrowth, according to officials at the scene. However, by 12:15 p.m., crews had established tentative containment lines around the brusher. A Cal Fire water-dropping helicopter was initially requested but canceled before leaving the pad at Hemet-Ryan Airport. No homes or other structures were threatened. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.