A raging wildfire left four people injured and prompted evacuations in Jurupa Valley and Riverside on Tuesday, May 19, then exploded into the evening.
The Bain fire was first reported at 11:30 a.m. and spread to 1,375 acres by the evening, propelled by eastward winds that made conditions difficult for firefighters on the ground, said Capt. John Clingingsmith with Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department.
The fire was 10% contained as of about 7:30 p.m., when crews were transitioning from daytime firefighting aircrafts to those equipped to fight the blaze through the night, as winds were expected to continue through at least midnight.
Throughout the day, evacuation orders and warnings grew from Jurupa Valley to Riverside as the fire spread, leaving panicked residents to flee as they juggled pets, carriers and leashes.
Few people walked as they evacuated DiMaggio Street in Riverside.
They trotted and ran as they loaded their possessions. They shouted in English and in Spanish. They towed classic cars that appeared to be under restoration. All while the wind blew smoke in their faces.
Ramiro Nava huffed and puffed as he ran up his driveway. He said he left for about 20 minutes and was shocked by what he saw when he returned.
“I came back to just chaos,” he said. “Everyone running around.”
Said his son, Ethan Nava: “Everyone was screaming their heads off. … trying to pack anything they could.”
Some structures were damaged in the fire, and crews headed out for assessment. Clingingsmith didn’t immediately know the number or types of structures damaged or which city they were in.
• Also see: This map shows where the Bain fire is burning in Jurupa Valley
Drones temporarily halt air firefight at Bain fire in Riverside County
Officials with the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department said some non-firefighters were taken to a hospital: three people for smoke inhalation and one for a traumatic injury. Their conditions were not known. No firefighter injuries were reported.
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A Riverside firefighter assists residents on Rolling Hills Drive as the Bain fire approaches in Riverside on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Evacuation orders were given for neighborhoods south of the Santa Ana river bed. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
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A Riverside firefighter assists residents on Rolling Hills Drive as the Bain fire approaches in Riverside on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Evacuation orders were given for neighborhoods south of the Santa Ana river bed. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Evacuations were ordered for those north of Arlington and Cypress avenues, south of Limonite Avenue, east of California Avenue and west of Tyler Street.
The evacuations were expanded west of Van Buren Boulevard in the evening hours, as a westward wind pushed the fire past Tyler Street and eastbound down the river, Watch Duty said.
Winds between 10 and 15 mph were expected to lighten throughout Tuesday evening, with gusts up to 25 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
At the Western Riverside Animal Shelter, workers sheltered in place with the animals, said county Emergency Management Department spokesman Shane Reichardt. Fire officials requested two night-capable helicopters to continue battling the fire.
Flames approached within a few feet of the animal shelter, but firefighters were able to extinguish them. Crews stood guard with a hose in hand after the danger appeared to pass just in case.
The fire led to street closures, as well.
See an interactive evacuation map
The blaze began in the area of Limonite Avenue and Bain Street at the bottom of the Santa Ana River Basin, fire officials said.
Fallen bamboo about 20 feet deep was burning in the Santa Ana River, resulting in a plume of dark smoke hundreds of feet high.
Firefighters slowed the westward spread of flames that were advancing toward Norco. The attack focused on the fire’s east flank — the riverbed and neighborhoods.
Airplanes and helicopters supplemented the ground crews when drones didn’t get in the way. Clingingsmith said three drones were flown illegally into the fire area, prompting aerial operations to be curtailed for about 10 minutes at a time.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
Another blaze, the Verona fire, erupted Tuesday afternoon, May 19, north of Homeland, destroying outbuildings, threatening homes and also prompting evacuations, fire officials said.
The Verona fire had gobbled up 600 acres by 7:30 p.m.
City News Service contributed to this report.