Fast-moving Springs fire burns 3,500 acres in Moreno Valley area; evacuations ordered

Firefighters on Friday afternoon were battling a fast-moving 3,500-acre vegetation fire driven by strong winds that prompted evacuation orders over a widespread area, with hundreds of homes threatened as the blaze barreled toward Perris.

The Springs fire was reported around 11 a.m. Friday on the 15900 block of Gilman Springs Road, east of Moreno Valley, the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department said.

Wind gusts in the area were up to 30 mph, the National Weather Service reported.

Gilman Springs Road was closed from Bridge Street to Alessandro Road early on. By 5 p.m., the fire was heading towards structures in the De La Valle Dr and Via Del Lago area, and additional resources were requested there, according to Watch Duty, a nonprofit app that monitors wildfires and radio traffic.

At one point in the afternoon, the fire was only a couple of hundred yards from structures in the area of Championship Drive, Watch Duty reported.

An evacuation shelter was established at Valley View High School, at 13135 Nason St., Moreno Valley. Animals can be brought to the San Jacinto Animal Shelter, 581 S. Grand Ave. in San Jacinto.

The blaze had scorched approximately 50 acres by 11:30 a.m., and reportedly jumped Gilman Springs Road. By 1:45 p.m., the blaze had consumed 1,500 acres. There was no containment at the time, said Alex Izaguirre, a Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokesman.

See a map of the fire here.

As of 4 p.m., the fire was at 3,500 acres and 5% contained, and the flames were moving to the west. No structures were reported damaged or destroyed.

Evacuation orders were issued for areas west of the Lake Perris Fairgrounds and east of Mount Eden, north of the Ramona Expressway and south of the 60 Freeway, Watch Duty reported.

Zones containing the Lake Perris State Recreation Area, Moreno Valley College and the San Jacinto/Lake Perris Core Reserve were also ordered to evacuate.

A map of the evacuation area is available here

Deborah Tatum, 71, who lives off Iris Avenue and Oliver Street with her sister and daughter, was among the residents who evacuated to the city’s designated shelter at Valley View High School.

Tatum said the smoke was thick and heavy around her house. She wasn’t given a timeline for when she and her family could return, she said, but kept checking her phone for updates. She also monitored for her family and friends.

The retired therapist said she isn’t afraid. “When things get rough and tough, I get calm and try to stay level,” Tatum said.

“The evacuation orders are mostly rural areas, not densely populated,” Izaguirre said later in the afternoon. The biggest challenge firefighters have been facing, he added, was the wind.

Evacuation warnings were also issued for areas between Nason Street, Moreno Beach Drive, Cactus Avenue and Alessandro Boulevard, north of John F. Kennedy Drive up to the 60 Freeway.

The Kaiser Permanente Moreno Valley Medical Center on Iris Avenue was included in the evacuation warnings.

At least three air tankers, two Type 1 helicopters, about 40 engines and four water tenders were requested to assist in battling the blaze, according to the fire department.

Air quality was also a concern.

“Due to the Fire in the area affecting the air quality, the campus is closing and all students, faculty, and staff are being directed to leave campus immediately,” the Moreno Valley College announced on X. “Please exit the campus in a calm and orderly manner and follow police directions.”

Concerned Orange County residents seeing the smoke called the Orange County Fire Authority on Friday afternoon. “We have received 911 calls for the odor of smoke in Orange County. This fire is not a threat to Orange County,” OCFA said on X.

It was about 75 degrees in the Moreno Valley area by early afternoon, according to Lauren Villafane, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Wind gusts were at 25 mph to 30 mph.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.