SAGE, Calif. —
Firefighters quickly contained a residential structure fire in the unincorporated community of Sage on Friday afternoon, stopping the flames before they could ignite the surrounding drought-stressed vegetation.
The blaze, identified by authorities as the Mountain Incident, was reported at 12:22 p.m. in the 31000 block of Red Mountain Road, near the intersection of Falcon Road.
According to the Riverside County Fire Department, the first arriving unit, Patrol 28, encountered a single-story home with a garage that was fully engulfed in flames. The fire was described as “well-involved,” but crews successfully prevented the blaze from extending into the main living quarters or the adjacent brush.
Fire officials confirmed that all occupants of the residence had safely evacuated the structure prior to the arrival of emergency personnel. No injuries were reported in connection with the incident.
The fire was located in a rural interface zone south of Hemet, an area characterized by rolling terrain and dense brush that was previously impacted by the 2022 Fairview Fire. Despite the potential for rapid spread in the light, grassy fuels common to the area, crews managed to contain the fire to the structure of origin.
The department announced that the fire was contained at 1:08 p.m., roughly 45 minutes after the initial dispatch. Resources remained on scene for approximately three hours to conduct mop-up operations and ensure all hot spots were extinguished.
Southern California Edison was requested to the scene to mitigate electrical hazards associated with the damaged structure.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
