A small brush fire, now dubbed the Samantha Fire, was ignited Monday afternoon in the Wolf Valley area of Temecula, burning approximately 4 acres before crews brought it under control. Residents in the Temecula Creek Village complex were asked to evacuate, according to a resident on the scene. Fire trucks are lined up to protect the homes.
Cal FIRE and the Riverside County Fire Department say the blaze began at 5:13 p.m. in the 31000 block of Samantha Lane, near Temecula Creek. Firefighters worked steadily and had the vegetation fire fully contained within roughly an hour. Flames were halted by 6:30 p.m., and there have been no injuries reported. Witnesses noted light smoke in nearby Murrieta, though no threat was posed to the town.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to authorities. A Cal FIRE spokesperson confirmed additional units remained on scene to monitor for hot spots through the evening.
The Samantha Fire comes as the Rosa Fire continues to burn to the east, with officials emphasizing that multiple wildfires are simultaneously active across Riverside County and Southern California.
