By Sunday night, a four-alarm vegetation fire had spread across more than 80 acres in Riverside, prompting evacuations, according to officials.
Concerned locals called 911 as a result of the Mandalay fire’s heavy, drifting smoke, the Riverside Fire Department posted on Facebook. Cal Fire and five mutual-aid engine companies joined the firefight, according to the department. According to Watch Duty, fire personnel reported that the fire’s forward advance had slowed by approximately 4:30 p.m.
However, little after 5 p.m., the Riverside Police Department reported that the Mandalay fire was still burning and that several resources were present.
Amy Ashcraft, a resident, said she and others had been watching the fire close to their homes and taking photos while standing in a cloud of wildfire smoke.
“Suddenly, it just got worse,” she told the news outlet OnScene. After that, Ashcraft began soaking her family’s roof until they were told to leave.
An section of the city north of Arlington Avenue, south of the Santa Ana River Trail, east of Mitchell Avenue and Valley Drive, and west of Jurupa and Crest avenues was under mandatory evacuation.
At 4:10 p.m., the Riverside Police Department posted on Facebook that the La Sierra Senior site, located at 5215 La Sierra Ave., had been designated as an evacuation site.
Tyler Street between Arlington and Jurupa avenues, as well as other nearby side streets, had been closed by officers who were helping with traffic control. On certain streets, residents were being told to please GO NOW.
