A fast-moving wildfire stoked by 90-degree weather leaped State Route 60 in the Moreno Valley area, briefing trapping 50 motorists and burning about 150 acres.
The fire remains uncontained, but no homes are in its immediate path, officials said. A stretch of the freeway between Jack Rabbit Trail and Gilman Springs Road has been closed as nearly 200 firefighters battle the blaze with the help of air tankers and helicopters.
Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Cheri Patterson said the blaze, which began around 4 p.m., threatened motorists on the freeway until California Highway Patrol officers and firefighters escorted them away from the flames.
“We had a life-threatening situation earlier with the motorists trapped, so we’re feeling pretty fortunate,” Patterson said. “It is burning in a pretty remote area and not toward any homes.”
She said the cause of the fire, which could grow to 400 acres before it runs into natural barriers, is under investigation. It is burning in unincorporated territory between Moreno Valley and Beaumont, in an area known as the San Timoteo Badlands.
“We’ve been fortunate to have a relatively mild fire season so far,” Patterson said. "This area is notorious for burning year after year.”
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