RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Strong winds are fueling a rapidly expanding wildfire in Southern California that has forced residents from their homes and filled the air with thick smoke.
The Springs Fire ignited around 11 a.m. on Friday and had consumed approximately 5.47 square miles by evening, though firefighters began making progress on containment. Officials are still investigating what sparked the blaze in an area east of Moreno Valley within Riverside County. Authorities have not released the exact number of homes affected by evacuation notices.
The flames are moving through a moderately populated unincorporated section of Riverside County, specifically in a recreation zone adjacent to Moreno Valley. The city houses about 200,000 residents and sits 10 miles southeast of Riverside and 64 miles east of Los Angeles.
“It’s windy out there,” explained Maggie Cline De La Rosa, who serves as a public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Riverside County.
Cal Fire Riverside County spokesperson Alex Izaguirre noted that the wind is “spreading the smoke,” which has generated worried phone calls from people in surrounding communities who can both see and smell the haze.
Weather officials have issued a wind advisory covering San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys that remains in effect through Saturday afternoon, warning of gusts reaching up to 50 mph.
“Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the advisory stated.
