A fire that burned 105 acres in Jurupa Valley and prompted evacuations near the Santa Ana River bottom has been deemed human caused, Cal Fire Riverside officials said Tuesday.
The Lake Fire was reported about 11:10 a.m. near Lakeview Avenue and Pedley Road in Riverside and rapidly spread into Jurupa Valley.
The blaze forced the evacuation of more than 5,000 residents in the area as crews tried to stop the spread from the ground and the air.
As of Tuesday evening, the blaze was 85% contained at 105 acres and all evacuation orders and road closures have been lifted. Officials had previously given a larger acreage.
Though forward progress was stopped, officials said firefighters will be in the area for several days as they work to fully contain the blaze.
And while the fire was determined to be human caused, investigators are dealing with “limited information” and are not certain if it was accidental or arson.
Anyone with information about the Lake Fire can call the Riverside County Fire Department’s arson hotline at 800-633-2836.
