A wind-driven brush fire burning in Riverside County caused mandatory evacuations for some residents in Jurupa Valley Saturday afternoon.
The fire was first reported around 3:50 p.m. as it burned in a riverbed near the intersection of Indian Camp Road and Candle Light Drive.
Pushed by strong winds, the fire eventually grew beyond the riverbed as it threatened several homes in a residential neighborhood.
By 6:05 p.m., the Union Fire, as it was later named, had grown to 95 acres and there was no containment.
Heavy smoke was reported throughout the area, including smoke drifting into the city of Riverside.
Riverside County fire officials announced mandatory evacuation orders were put in place near the area where the fire was burning as several structures were considered threatened.
Residents living south of Limonite Avenue, north of Riverview Drive, east of Avenue Juan Diaz and west of Maverick Lane were told to leave their homes immediately.
By Sunday morning, all evacuation orders and warnings were lifted.
Video from the scene showed large flames burning within feet of several homes in a residential neighborhood. Despite the close call, firefighters were able to protect all homes from any heavy damage.
A shelter was set up at Patriot High School located at 4355 Camino Real in Jurupa Valley for those who were evacuated.
Around 8 p.m. Saturday, Cal Fire officials announced that forward progress of the blaze had been stopped with the fire holding at 110 acres.
Firefighters made good progress throughout the evening and by Sunday morning containment grew to 40%. But fire personnel were expected to challenged throughout the day as temperatures soared into the triple digits in the Inland Empire, leading the National Weather Service to declare a heat advisory for much of the region.
Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department is the lead agency in command of the fire response, with assistance from multiple nearby fire agencies.