Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Cherry Valley fire: More than 300 firefighters rush to contain the fast-moving wildfire in southern California

The fire quadrupled in size in a matter of a few hours

Feliks Garcia
New York
Tuesday 30 August 2016 19:16 EDT
Ed Sherman/Twitter
Ed Sherman/Twitter

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

More than 300 firefighters are battling a blaze in southern California that is expanding at a rapid speed, forcing evacuations of area residents.

The fire began Tuesday afternoon in the Cherry Valley area of Riverside County, and has burned through more than 500 acres. Residents in the Banning Bench area, including those in a nearby senior centre, are under evacuation orders.

ABC7 reports that five helicopters and one DC-10 plane are dropping fire retardant on the blaze.

The Riverside County Fire Department reports that one building has been destroyed, 200 homes evacuated, and 700 residents displaced.

Residents of an area mobile home community were threatened by the brush fire that quadrupled in size since it was reported at 12.25 pm.

Authorities say the fire is currently at five per cent containment. The cause still remains unclear.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in