The Corancho Fire near Murrieta reached 95% containment early Thursday, Oct. 8, with crews shifting to patrol status overnight.
CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department posted the update at 12:20 a.m. Thursday on X, calling it the last update of the night. The 35-acre vegetation fire had threatened the Temecula-De Luz area since Tuesday evening, when it destroyed one structure near the Riverside-San Diego county line.
The fire was first reported at 5:59 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in the 26800 block of Frens Road in unincorporated Temecula, near Carancho Road. CAL FIRE initially estimated the blaze could grow to 150 acres.
That did not happen.
Firefighters made progress on the ground that first night, assisted by two night-flying helicopters, according to CAL FIRE. Crews stopped the fire's forward spread by 9:50 p.m. Tuesday, holding it at 35 acres and 10% containment. No evacuations were ordered and no injuries were reported, according to CAL FIRE.
At the height of the initial response, 139 personnel were assigned to the fire, according to Valley News. Resources included 24 engines, two helicopters, one bulldozer, three hand crews and one water tender. Air tankers from across California also flew suppression missions. The North County Fire Protection District assisted, according to Captain John Clingingsmith of CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department, as Patch reported.
By 7 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, containment had climbed to 35%. CAL FIRE said crews tackled flare-ups and hit hot spots overnight. Day-shift crews then worked the fire line through steep terrain and drainages. As we reported Wednesday, the fire had already destroyed one structure by that point.
The jump to 95% containment came less than 18 hours later.
CAL FIRE has not identified the type of structure destroyed. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No timeline for full containment has been announced.
Residents can follow CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department on X at @CALFIRERRU for updates. To report wildfire activity, call 911.
