SAN DIEGO — A slow-moving 5,222-acre brush fire burning in a federal preserve on the southern tip of Riverside County, along the boundary with San Diego County, was triggered by a faulty electrical panel on private property, officials confirmed Friday.
"Cal Fire peace officers, after an origin and cause investigation, determined the cause of the `Nixon Fire' was electrical, caused by a privately owned electrical panel," according to an agency statement released Friday.
No other details were available.
The fire was 82% contained by Sunday evening, according to Cal Fire. All evacuation orders and warnings had been lifted by Monday afternoon.
It was no longer threatening any homes or other structures, situated within the Beauty Mountain Wilderness, maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
On Sunday, crews continued to strengthen containment lines while mopping up and patrolling the perimeter area of the fire, Cal Fire said.
One Cal Fire water-dropping helicopter was making targeted drops around the perimeter of the brusher Friday afternoon.
Four structures were destroyed by the brusher, which prompted an evacuation order for the scattered homes south of Highway 371, north of the county line, west of Terwilliger Road and east of Foolish Pleasure Road. A temporary evacuation center was established at Temecula Valley High School. A county official said earlier this week there was no demand for space at the center.
The blaze erupted about 12:30 p.m. Monday in the area of Richard Nixon Boulevard and Tule Peak Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
At its height, more than 1,000 personnel were battling the blaze, including county fire crews, Cal Fire-San Diego County crews and BLM firefighters.
One flank of the fire briefly crossed into San Diego County earlier this week, blackening two open acres before firefighters extinguished that section of flames.
For real time updates visit Cal Fire Incident page.
WATCH RELATED: How to know when it's time to go during a wildfire:
Prepare for a Wildfire evacuation
CalFire has built a list of things to have ready in case you and your family are evacuated during any wildfire or disaster.
Ensure your wildfire ‘Go Bag’ includes:
- A 3-day supply of non-perishable food & 3 gallons of water per person
- A map with at least 2 evacuation routes
- Necessary prescriptions or medications
- A change of clothes & extra eyeglasses/contact lenses
- Extra car keys, credit cards, cash, or traveler’s checks
- A first aid kit & sanitation supplies
- A flashlight & battery-powered radio with extra batteries
- Copies of important documents (birth certificates, passports, etc.)
- Pet food & water
Always have sturdy shoes and a flashlight near your bed, ready for sudden night evacuations.
If time allows, consider adding:
- Valuables that are easy to carry
- Family photos and irreplaceable items
- Personal computer data on hard drives and disks
- Chargers for cell phones and laptops