Fire Crews Contain Wildfire Burning Near Hemet

A brush fire sparked by a metal grinder scorched 75 acres of vegetation today east of Hemet, but no structures were threatened.

The blaze broke around noon near Fairview and Whittier avenues east of Hemet, said Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department.

Firefighters fully contained the fire by 5 p.m., according to Hagemann, who said the fire was started by a grinder that was being used to dismantle metal in a dry area.

The blaze was expected to be fully extinguished by 6 p.m. Thursday, she said.

More than 100 firefighters, two helicopters, seven engines, seven fire crews and a bulldozer were assigned to fight the flames.

Residents in the San Jacinto Mountains and the Coachella Valley reported smelling the drifting smoke, according to Hagemann.

For more information on drift smoke and the containment of the fire, click here.