A 30-acre wildfire whipped by strong winds prompted evacuations in Jurupa Valley on Tuesday night, Dec. 17. But by 11 p.m., aggressive firefighting had kept the blaze from threatening homes, officials said.
The Soto Fire started around 7:48 p.m., quickly grew to 10 acres and initially posed a threat to residential areas, according to Capt. John Clingingsmith Jr., a spokesperson with Cal Fire/Riverside County.
The wildfire broke out in the area of Soto Street and Sedona Drive, according to Cal Fire.
By 9 p.m. it had burned 30 acres, officials announced, but they soon clarified it was mapped at 25 acres, with no containment. They later remapped it at 30 acres again.
Containment is the percentage of a fire’s perimeter – either because of a natural break or through digging lines – beyond which authorities believe a blaze will not spread.
What we know:
Acres burned: 30
Containment: 0% as of 11:10 p.m.
Homes burned: None
Homes/people evacuated: Number not available
Fire personnel: 84
Cause of fire: Under investigation
When it started: Shortly before 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday
Fire officials couldn’t confirm the number of homes that had been threatened. Evacuations were first reported in progress at Pebblewood Court, according to the Watch Duty app, where firefighters and others monitor and contribute to wildfire reports.
Additional evacuation orders were quickly in place for Camino Real and the cross streets Laurel Ridge Drive, Cottontail Court, Black Hills Drive and Sundance Drive, according to Cal Fire.
A scene from the Soto fire in Jurupa Valley on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (OnScene.TV)
“Santa Ana winds are picking up in the Inland Empire right now and will peak across the region tonight,” the National Weather Service posted on X. “While not as strong as last week’s event, typically windy areas could experience gusts greater than 40 mph overnight.”
Despite the wind, Cal Fire said the crews were making progress and establishing control lines, and they would remain on scene overnight.
Brittney Monzon, whose home is near the wildfire, said she was about to sit down for dinner when she learned of the blaze.
“We get a call from the neighbor that our mountain is on fire,” she told a freelance news videographer from OnScene.TV as she stood outside her house and watched the flames burning nearby.
Firefighters in Jurupa Valley get ready to battle the Soto fire on Dec. 17, 2024. (OnScene.TV)
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Kylie Candiff, another resident in the area, also got a call that there was a fire outside and immediately alerted her family when she saw the hillside blazing, she told OnScene.TV.
Thinking they would have to evacuate, her mother told her and her siblings to pack. “Initially, it looked really bad and we thought that our house was going to end up on fire, but luckily because it was windy the fire was able to be pushed on the other side of the hill,” Candiff said. “Unfortunately there are houses on the other side, so hopefully it will get taken care of.”
Her father alerted others on their street, wanting to make sure everyone was aware of the flames.
“He dashed to the house right ahead of us, he banged on their door and let them know there was a fire. He began going to every single other house. While the rest of us were packing, he made sure everyone else knew there was a fire right outside their backyard,” she said.
No injuries were reported as of 9:30 p.m.
A care and reception center was being set up at Patriot High School, 4355 Camino Real in Jurupa Valley, Cal Fire said on X shortly after 10:20 p.m. Road Closures also were announced: Jurupa Road at Camino Real east to Valley Way, and Camino Real from Jurupa Road south to Live Oak Drive.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
This is a developing story. Additional information will be added when it becomes available.
