LA CRESTA, Calif. — Firefighters continued making progress Monday on the Tenaja Fire that burned dangerously close to homes near the city of Murrieta in Riverside.
As of Monday night, the Tenaja Fire had burned an estimated 1,926 acres and was 92% contained, according to Cal Fire Riverside.
On Friday, all mandatory evacuations orders and evacuation warnings covering hundreds of homes had been lifted. The fire broke out Wednesday, possibly from a lightning strike as thunderstorms moved through, and burned to the backyards of some homes when gusty winds arose Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters manned hoses and aircraft made water drops to keep flaming vegetation from engulfing houses.
Two structures sustained minor damage.
"The front of the fire came right down into the neighborhood. There was just a massive amount of fuel on those hillsides," said Capt. Fernando Herrera with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Aircraft made continuous drops of water and retardant, he said.
On Friday night, the City of Murrieta tweeted that evacuation orders had been lifted for Copper Canyon and Bear Creek.
ROAD CLOSURES: None - all road closures for the Tenaja Fire were lifted as of 1 p.m. Saturday.
Evacuation orders mean mandatory and you should leave now. Evacuation warnings mean voluntary, and you should be prepared to leave with little notice.
