Brush fire burns 25 acres near Banning

A brush fire erupted today on a mountainside south of Banning amid stiff Santa Ana winds, quickly scorching 25 acres.

The non-injury blaze was reported at 3:40 p.m. in the area of Wolfskill Truck Trail and Old Idyllwild Road, in the San Bernardino National Forest, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The agency said that multiple engine and hand crews from the county and U.S. Forest Service were sent to the location and encountered flames moving at a moderate rate upslope, away from homes and other structures at the foot of the mountain.

Six Cal Fire air tankers and four water-dropping helicopters were summoned and initiated runs on the brusher shortly after 4 p.m.   

Winds were expected to begin dissipating after sundown, after which most of the aircraft were set to discontinue operations for safety.   

No evacuation orders were imminent.   

The fire was less than a mile west of Highway 243 but was not expected to impact the two-lane corridor.

The cause of the blaze was not immediately known.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.