Firefighters continue battling Rosa Fire, nearly 1,700 acre brush fire burning in Riverside

Evacuation orders have been issued as a large brush fire burns east of Anza in the Ribbonwood area of Riverside County. 

The blaze, dubbed the Rosa Fire, was first reported at around 3 p.m. on Monday near Highway 74 in the Mountain Center Community and quickly grew to engulf more than 1,200 acres in just two hours, according to the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department. 

As of 7 p.m. on Sunday, crews said the fire was 1,690 acres and 90% contained after firefighters on the ground and in water-dropping helicopters battled the blaze throughout the week, Cal Fire said. Nearly 350 fire engines, several water-dropping aircraft and 300 firefighters were assigned to the incident. 

The cause of the blaze is under investigation and no injuries have been reported. 

Evacuation orders issued

As the flames continued to spread, firefighters issued evacuation orders and warnings for several zones in the surrounding area. All orders and warnings have since been lifted and a days-long closure of Highway 74 was finally canceled, allowing residents to easily access their homes again. 

A care and reception center was established at the Anza Community Center located at 56630 on Highway 371. Animal shelters were made available for evacuees at both the San Jacinto Animal Center, at 581 S. Grand Avenue in San Jacinto, and Coachella Valley Animal Campus, at 72040 Pet Land Place in Thousand Palms.