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Firefighters Battle Brush Fire Near Lake Elsinore

A fire driven by dry brush burned about 40 acres today in the Cleveland National Forest just west of the Riverside County line, threatening some remote campground structures.

The fire broke out around noon in the Long Canyon area of the national forest, west of the Ortega (74) Highway and near the Orange-Riverside county line, said Jake Rodriguez, spokesman for the Cleveland National Forest.

At least one law-enforcement officer on the scene suffered an unknown type of heat-related injury, Rodriguez said. The extent of the injury was not immediately known.

He said the fire was being driven by fuel and topography.

“There’s some heavy fuels in that area,” Rodriguez said.

National Forest crews were being aided by firefighters from Cal Fire and the Orange County Fire Authority. Two water-dropping helicopter crews, two air tankers and one attack plane were also involved in the firefight, Rodriguez said.

The blaze was burning generally westward on both sides of Long Canyon Road near the Blue Jay Campground. Rodriguez said some structures were being threatened at the El Cariso hot-shot camp and the Los Pinos conservation camp, but there were no people in the area.

“It’s burning away from El Cariso Village for the most part, more toward the interior of the National Forest,” he said.

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