Banning fire scorches 45 acres
More than 170 firefighters battled a 45-acre brush fire in the hills south of Banning today, a county fire department spokeswoman said.
The blaze at Highway 243 near Twin Pines Road was reported shortly before 6:30 a.m. and was 80 percent contained, or surrounded, by about 10:30 a.m., Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Jody Hagemann said.
No injuries were reported, and no structures were threatened, Hagemann said.
The California Highway Patrol closed 243 between Wesley Street and Poppet Flats Road. Motorists were advised to check www.chp.ca.gov for updates
on road closures.
