Springs Fire Triggers Evacuations in Riverside County
- Firefighters in Southern California are battling the Springs Fire, a fast-moving wildfire that triggered multiple evacuation orders and warnings in Riverside County on April 3, 2026.
- By the evening of the same day, the blaze had grown to approximately 14.17 square kilometers, or 5.47 square miles.
- The fire is located east of Moreno Valley in an unincorporated, populated but not densely settled area of Riverside County.
Firefighters in Southern California are battling the Springs Fire, a fast-moving wildfire that triggered multiple evacuation orders and warnings in Riverside County on April 3, 2026.
The wildfire broke out at approximately 11 a.m. On April 3, 2026. By the evening of the same day, the blaze had grown to approximately 14.17 square kilometers, or 5.47 square miles.
The fire is located east of Moreno Valley in an unincorporated, populated but not densely settled area of Riverside County. The blaze emerged in a recreational area near Moreno Valley, a city with a population of roughly 200,000 residents located 16 kilometers southeast of Riverside and approximately 103 kilometers east of Los Angeles.
Evacuations and Local Impact
The rapid spread of the fire forced some residents to evacuate their homes and led to the temporary closure of a community college. While evacuation orders and warnings were issued for several areas, officials did not immediately specify the total number of households affected.
Firefighting efforts included the use of aircraft to drop red flame retardant on the blaze. By the evening of April 3, 2026, fire crews had begun to contain the fire.
Weather Conditions and Wind Advisories
High winds significantly hampered containment efforts and contributed to the spread of the fire. Maggie Cline De La Rosa, a public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in Riverside County, noted that It’s windy out there
.
The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for the valleys of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, effective through the afternoon of April 4, 2026. The advisory warned of gusts reaching up to 80 kilometers per hour, or 50 miles per hour.
Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result
National Weather Service
Alex Izaguirre, a spokesperson for Cal Fire Riverside County, stated that the wind was spreading the smoke
, which led to an increase in calls from residents in neighboring cities who could see and smell the smoke from the blaze.
The cause of the Springs Fire remains under investigation.