Firefighters on Saturday battled a pair of wildfires that forced evacuations in Southern California a day earlier as windy conditions threatened to further stoke the flames.
In Riverside County, the Springs Fire started shortly after 11 a.m. Friday and had burned nearly 4,200 acres as of about 6 p.m. Saturday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). It was 95% contained as of early Saturday evening.
Evacuation orders had remained in place Saturday across several areas near Moreno Valley, while some orders had been lifted.
Flames and smoke cover a hillside as crews battle the fast-growing Springs Fire in Moreno Valley, Calif., on April 3, 2026. APIn Los Angeles County, the much smaller Crown Fire had burned 385 acres in the town of Acton and was 95% contained as of 6 p.m. Saturday. All evacuation orders tied to the fire have been lifted.
A wind advisory from the National Weather Service warned of gusty conditions Saturday across parts of Southern California Saturday that could potentially accelerate the flames.
The Springs Fire broke out around 11 a.m. Friday and by the evening had grown to about 6.5 square miles. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
With hundreds of people battling the blaze on Friday — using helicopters, engines and water tenders — crews started to contain the blaze.
A Cal Fire tanker drops fire retardant while battling the Springs Fire. APThe fire was burning in a populated — but not densely so — unincorporated part of Riverside County in a recreational area near Moreno Valley, which has a population of roughly 200,000.
The city is 10 miles southeast of Riverside and 64 miles east of Los Angeles.
“It’s windy out there,” said Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Riverside County, said Friday.
Alex Izaguirre, a spokesperson for the Cal Fire Riverside County, said Friday the wind is “spreading the smoke,” prompting concerned calls from residents in neighboring cities who can see and smell it.
Moreno Valley College’s main campus was shuttered Friday and Saturday due to the fire impacting the air quality.
Smoke blocks the sun as the Springs Fire continues to grow in Southern California on April 3, 2026. AP“All students, faculty, and staff are being directed to leave campus immediately,” the school said in a post on Instagram.
California US Rep. Raul Ruiz said in a social media post that he was closely monitoring the blaze.
“If you are under an evacuation order, please leave immediately,” he said.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for San Bernardino and Riverside County valleys through Saturday afternoon.
