The Palm Springs Fire Department, with support from Cal Fire, responded Saturday afternoon to a brush fire burning near the foothills along Highway 111, approximately one mile north of Gateway Drive.
At 4:14 p.m., the department announced via X that it had begun demobilizing units. However, officials said the incident would remain active into the evening and overnight.
The fire — reported around 1:25 p.m. and named the Parkmead Fire, according to the Watch Duty app — has been mapped at approximately 17 acres on the mountain slope, the Palm Springs Fire Department posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Fire crews remain on scene with aircraft support as they continue to secure the perimeter and monitor for flare-ups. Forward progress has been stopped.
Earlier, Cal Fire told The Desert Sun that one battalion chief was on the scene, with another responding, along with two brush engines and two additional engines called to assist.
It’s unclear how the brush fire started.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Fire crews respond to 17-acre brush fire near foothills along Highway 111 in Palm Springs
Reporting by Jennifer Cortez, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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