San Diego Crews Help Fight Pauba Fire in Riverside County

A brush fire that broke out Friday on a hillside east of Temecula charred 101 acres and left two firefighters injured before it was stopped, authorities said.

The firefighters collapsed from suspected heat stroke while battling the Pauba Fire,” which drew close to a campground that was ordered evacuated.

Eight Cal Fire air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters made runs on the brusher, enabling crews to begin digging tentative containment lines out ahead of it. The forward rate of spread was stopped at 4:25 p.m.

All tankers returned to their bases shortly afterward, with only the two choppers making targeted drops.

Containment was minimal late Friday afternoon, but full containment was expected over the weekend

The fire was reported at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the area of Pauba and Los Caballos roads, north of Highway 79, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Crews from San Diego County Fire joined their Riverside and Hemet counterparts.

The two firefighters who collapsed were digging containment lines around the hill at the time. They were both taken to Temecula Valley Hospital in stable condition.

Fire department commanders issued an evacuation order for the Vail Lake Resort as the flames approached. The order also applied to the Butterfield Lake Estates, while an evacuation warning was in effect for the area north of Highway 79, south of Avenida Bravura, east of Anza Road and west of Wilson Creek.

The orders were expected to be canceled by nightfall.

Sheriff’s deputies closed Pauba Road between Highway 79 to the south and De Portola Road to the north for public safety.

Searchable maps showing the affected locations can be found here.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Updated 9:25 p.m. July 12, 2024