Wildfire blackens hills west of Temecula

TEMECULA - A brush fire that broke out today in an orchard west of Temecula had scorched 70 acres by early tonight but was not posing an immediate threat to homes.

The non-injury blaze was reported about 2:50 p.m. in the 28000 block of Via Santa Rosa, near Via Vaquero, in the unincorporated community of De Luz, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

There was no word on how the blaze started, and as of 6:10 p.m., the brusher was 20 percent contained.

An agency spokeswoman said 14 engine crews and six hand crews, numbering about 115 personnel, were sent to the location. With the help of six air tankers dispatched from the Hemet-Ryan Air Attack Base and other pads, firefighters were working to encircle the brusher, which was expanding at a slow rate in hilly terrain, according to the fire department.

No homes or other structures were under threat, and according to meteorological reports, winds in the area were light and variable.