Thermal brush fire knocks out power to IID customers

6:00 p.m. Update: Flames flare-up near landfill. Hazmat, Cal Fire crews and IID remain on scene.

5:30 p.m. Update: Coachella Valley Unified School District announces that due to power outage caused by brush fire tonight’s board meeting has been Cancelled. The outage is affecting the District Office where the meeting was set to take place. The meeting will be rescheduled for a later date.

Cal Fire is fighting a vegetation fire that’s burning near Pierce Street and 68th Avenue in Thermal. Firefighters were called to the blaze on Tuesday just before 2 p.m.

According to fire officials, the blaze ignited near the Lawson Dump and it has grown to about five acres. It’s burning in thick brush but no structures are threatened.

The Imperial Irrigation District reported that 1,201 customers are without power in the surrounding area, downgraded from 1,432 earlier in the afternoon. A crew is on site troubleshooting the problem, officials with IID said.

A Cal Fire spokesperson said several more fire engines were called to the remote location because the fire could potentially grow to about ten acres.

Some road closures may be in effect near Pierce Street and 68th Avenue as emergency crews continue to contain the fire. If you’re driving in the area Tuesday afternoon, take an alternate route.

There’s no word on the cause of the fire at this time.

KESQ and CBS Local 2 will deliver updates as more information becomes available.