Mowing Equipment Sparks 20-Acre Fire

Mowing equipment sparked a wildfire that destroyed 20 acres and several vehicles in Aguanga today.

The fire was reported 12:27 p.m. at 46060 Wilson Valley Road, according to Jody Hagemann, spokesperson for the Riverside County Fire Department.

When firefighters arrived, they found five acres of dry brush on fire, though it quickly spread, firefighters said.

“Warm weather and wind are driving the fire,” said Battalion Chief Dave Cabral around 3:30 p.m.

The fire grew to eight acres by 2:30 p.m., and 100 firefighters patrolled a field of black char sprinkled with white-hot embers hacking at the group with pickaxes and dousing hot spots.

The fire started on the property’s western end on a hill, said Richard Smith who lives in nearby home.

“It started up on the hill and came down the canyon across the property,” he said.

Flames came within about twenty feet of Smith’s house, but he fended them off with a garden hose with an attachment he keeps for fighting fires.

“When you live up here, you have to be ready for this kind of thing,” he said.

Emergency vehicles from the county fire department, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the U.S. Forest Service were rushing to and from the area on dirt roads this afternoon.

Thirteen engines, two helicopters and two bulldozers were assigned to the blaze, which firefighters expect to have under full control by 11 p.m., Hagemann said.

No structures were damaged and nobody was hurt, but the fire destroyed a bus, six boats, five other vehicles and three unoccupied travel trailers. The one responsible for the fire will be billed for the costs of fighting the fire and for the damaged property, according to Hagemann.