Bain fire injures 4 in Riverside County; civilian drones interfere with firefighting aircraft

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A brush fire ignited in the Jurupa Valley on Tuesday, prompting evacuation orders and injuring four people as fire crews continued to battle a slew of blazes burning amid dry and warm conditions in the Southland.The Bain fire was reported at 11:22 a.m.

near the Santa Ana River bottom in the community of Mira Linda.Fanned by gusty winds, it quickly pushed up the nearby hills, scorching 1,374 acres acres by 8:30 p.m., according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Four civilians were transported to a hospital for treatment, three from smoke inhalation injuries and one from a trauma injury, according to Capt.John Clingingsmith Jr., a spokesperson for the Cal Fire Riverside Unit.

Evacuation orders have been issued in surrounding residential areas, and evacuation centers are open at the La Sierra Senior Center, at 5215 La Sierra Ave., and the Jurupa Community Center, at 4810 Pedley Road.California A wind-driven fire that broke out in Ventura County Monday morning stalled overnight, allowing some residents to return home.At one point in the afternoon, firefighting aircraft were briefly grounded as three civilian drones were spotted flying in the airspace.

It is illegal to fly drones in a fire zone as they have the potential to collide with and damage firefighting planes.During the Palisades fire in January 2025, a drone punctured a hole in the the wing of a Super Scooper plane.“When we see one drone in the area, let alone three or more, it takes a portion of time to verify that that airspace is clear and it’s safe for our aircraft to start flying again,” Clingingsmith said.

On Tuesday, it took about 15 minutes to get planes back in the air, but Clingingsmith said that even small pauses can have serious consequences.“At the height of things moving with the wind, even 10 minutes can really alter the course of the fire,” he said.One hundred firefight...