Crews make progress against Clay fire in Riverside County

Jurupa Valley fire crews battled a brush fire in the Santa Ana River bottom Tuesday evening after having extinguished a blaze in a similar location last week.

The Clay fire was reported at 2 acres at 5 p.m. Tuesday and grew to 38 acres by 7 p.m., according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department.

The Clay fire grew to 38 acres and was 45% contained by Wednesday morning.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

A total of 165 personnel from multiple agencies and a firefighting helicopter responded to the blaze and were able to halt its forward progress around 9 p.m., according to Cal Fire and Riverside fire officials. The fire was 45% contained as of Wednesday morning.

“Air resources have been released, and crews will remain on scene throughout the night and into the morning to conduct extensive mop-up operations,” the city of Riverside Fire Department said in an evening update.

Hand crews worked to contain the fire by removing dense vegetation and trees around its perimeter and dousing the area in water, said Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a spokesperson for the county fire department.

An evacuation warning was lifted for residents south of Limonite Avenue between Van Buren Boulevard and Beach Street at 11 p.m. Tuesday, according to the county fire department

Twenty-three engines and eight hand crews were set to remain on scene throughout Wednesday, fire officials said.

Riverside County firefighters monitor the Clay fire on Tuesday night.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

On Jan. 13, crews responded to a similar brush fire in the Santa Ana River bottom, an area where there are homeless encampments. That fire broke out around 5 p.m., burned 2 acres and was contained by 7 p.m.

The fires, each dubbed the Clay fire, were reported at Van Buren Avenue and Clay Street. Cline De La Rosa said this is the address often used to report fires in the riverbed but does not mean they are in the same location.

In addition, a third riverbed fire was reported about six miles downriver on Jan. 14. That incident, dubbed the Scout fire, burned 2.6 acres near 4785 Scout Lane and was determined to be a result of arson.

“The City of Riverside Fire Department’s arson investigator conducted an inquiry and determined the fire was deliberately set, originating near a homeless encampment,” the department said in a report on the blaze.

The cause of Tuesday evening’s fire is currently unknown.

Both Clay fires ignited while the region was under a red flag warning due to gusty Santa Ana winds and critically low humidity levels.