A late-afternoon brush fire tore through scrub south of the 60 Freeway in Moreno Valley on Saturday, ballooning to roughly 250 acres and shutting down westbound traffic as crews rushed in. Firefighters mounted both air and ground attacks near the World Logistics Center while authorities reported no injuries and no mandatory evacuations by late afternoon.
What officials said
According to the state's incident list, the blaze, dubbed the Iron Fire, had burned about 250 acres and was listed at 0% containment as crews responded, according to CAL FIRE. The fire was first reported just before 2:15 p.m. near Eucalyptus Avenue and World Logistics Center Parkway, just south of State Route 60, and additional air and ground resources were quickly ordered to the scene, as reported by CBS Los Angeles.
Traffic and safety
All westbound lanes of State Route 60 between Interstate 10 and World Logistics Center Parkway were shut down while firefighters worked to corral the flames, NBC Los Angeles reported. The outlet noted that no evacuations or injuries had been ordered or reported as of the afternoon.
Why the location matters
The fire burned along the edge of the World Logistics Center, a large industrial park that "boasts over 100 million square feet of available land," according to World Logistics Center. Because the center sits near Eucalyptus Avenue, the flames were close to clusters of warehouses and truck yards, although officials did not indicate that any buildings were threatened in the initial hours, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Local fire season context
The Iron Fire is the latest in a string of blazes to threaten the Moreno Valley area this spring. The Springs Fire in early May burned more than 4,100 acres near Lake Perris, according to The Weather Channel. In mid-June the Shore Fire scorched roughly 2,600 acres and prompted traffic advisories, per NBC Palm Springs.
CAL FIRE's incident listing states that the cause of the Iron Fire remains under investigation and that updates will be posted as more information becomes available. In the meantime, motorists and nearby residents were urged to avoid the area and follow official traffic advisories while crews work to establish containment lines, according to NBC Los Angeles.
