RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A fast-growing wildfire Friday in windy Southern California has prompted multiple evacuation orders and warnings.
The Springs Fire broke out at around 11 a.m. Friday and by 2:30 p.m. had grown to 2.34 square miles (6.06 square kilometers). The cause of the fire east of Moreno Valley in Riverside County is under investigation. It was not immediately known how many households are under evacuation warnings or orders.
“It’s windy out there,” said Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a public information officer for Cal Fire Riverside.
A Cal Fire map showed the fire burning in a recreational area near the city of Moreno Valley, which has a population of roughly 200,000. The city is 64 miles (103 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys through Saturday afternoon, with gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) expected.
“Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result,” the advisory read.
