(This story was updated with new information.)
A brush fire that erupted Monday, June 22, near Interstate 10 in Calimesa burned about 89 acres, disrupted freeway traffic for hours and left one firefighter with a minor injury, Cal Fire said.
The Cherry Fire was reported at 3:52 a.m. along westbound I-10 in the 36-000 block of Cherry Valley Boulevard, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters had stopped the blaze’s forward spread by 2:20 p.m.., when Cal Fire’s Riverside Unit reported it was 65% contained.
The injured firefighter was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
No evacuation orders or warnings had been issued, and the cause of the fire remained under investigation.
The California Highway Patrol reported the fire near westbound Interstate 10, between Cherry Valley Boulevard and Brookside Avenue.
Multiple ground crews and aircraft were assigned to the blaze. Firefighters worked to keep the flames from reaching the freeway and nearby commercial structures to the east and north, according to reports from the scene.
Cal Fire said 115 personnel, 17 engines, four crews, three water tenders, two dozers, a helicopter and six other resources were assigned to the Cherry Fire. Numerous air tankers from across the state were flying suppression missions as conditions allowed.
Firefighters were expected to spend several more hours at the scene to ensure the blaze was controlled, including by putting out hot spots and securing the fire’s perimeter.
Cherry Fire evacuations
No evacuation orders or warnings were declared.
Cherry Fire road closures
CHP officers initially shut down two westbound lanes for public safety before reducing the closure to the right lane and shoulder near Cherry Valley Boulevard, which is Exit 90.
Westbound traffic was backed up to Highway 60 at Exit 93, as of about 1:28 p.m., with stop-and-go congestion and delays of up to 20 minutes, according to SigAlert, a traffic monitoring service.
City News Service contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Cherry Fire near I-10 in Calimesa 65% contained, firefighter injured
Reporting by Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
