Crews making progress containing Southern California wildfire as some mandatory evacuations remain

RIVERSIDE, California — A smoky wildfire in southern California that broke out a day earlier (April 4) and prompted evacuation orders was mostly under control Saturday afternoon, fire officials said.

Encompassing roughly about 16 sq km in Riverside County, about 103km east of Los Angeles, the Springs Fire was no longer growing and at least 75 per cent per cent contained Saturday, said Terra Fernandez, public safety information specialist for the Riverside County Fire Department. It was 25 per cent contained on Friday.

Fire officials also lifted evacuation orders for a large swath of neighborhoods Saturday morning. Fernandez said she expected the rest will be lifted by the end of the day.

"It's pretty much under control," Fernandez said.

The fire was fuelled by strong Santa Ana winds with gusts predicted to get up to 72kph on Saturday. But winds had "dissipated a bit" since Friday, helping the efforts of fire crews, Fernandez said. Natural equestrian trails around the area also helped firefighters make access to the fire and build effective containment lines around its perimeter, she said.

So far, no structures have been damaged or destroyed.

Crews began early Saturday dropping water and retardant all around the fire by air. About 260 personnel are battling the blaze, including crews from around the region who are building and strengthening the containment lines and laying hose, she said.

A handful of zones in the county remained under mandatory evacuation orders. It was not immediately known how many households were affected by the orders.

The fire is located in a populated unincorporated part of Riverside County that is a recreational area near the city of Moreno Valley, which has a population of roughly 200,000.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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