Mulch fire in Desert Hot Springs

Firefighters battled a mulch fire burning in Desert Hot Springs Friday morning.

The Riverside County Fire Department said the mulch fire was first reported near 20th Avenue and Palm Drive at 4:55 a.m. The fire was sending a plume of smoke into the sky visible from the freeway, much of Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, and Palm Springs.

Crews contained the fire around 8 a.m.

20 firefighters were on scene monitoring the fire and a bulldozer was clearing debris to prevent the fire from spreading in a series of dry piles. A water tender was also on scene.

Smoke from the fire could be smelled in Thousand Palms.