Brush fire grows to 50 acres in Riverside County
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A brush fire in Riverside County quickly spread to about 50 acres Thursday evening and was burning near a residential development.
About 150 firefighters were trying to stop the progress of the flames burning across heavy brush near the south end of the Jurupa Valley regional park, northwest of the Riverside Airport, fire officials said.
Crews on the ground were being assisted a by a water-dropping helicopter, the Riverside County Fire Department said.
Power lines were down in the area, but it was not clear whether downed lines sparked the blaze, which broke out about 4:30 p.m. The blaze, initially reported to be about 10 acres, spread quickly across the brush.
Television footage showed flames burning in the darkness and consuming palm trees. A thick plume of smoke rose from the scene.
The blaze broke out as a Santa Ana wind condition warmed up Southern California. Temperatures in Riverside County were in the low 80s Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Here are some images of the fire aggregated from social media:
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