The Associated Press
MORENO VALLEY, Calif. — A wildfire burned more than 300 acres (214 hectares), briefly threatening a handful of Riverside County homes and forcing the partial closure of a freeway before it was fully surrounded, authorities said.
The fire broke out in steep terrain before noon on Sunday, and grew quickly after being stoked by winds up to 35 mph (56 kph), said Capt. Randy Nugent of the California Department of Forestry.
It came within 100 feet (30 meters) of a few of the half-dozen large homes in the sparsely populated area, Nugent said.
The eastbound side of the Pomona Freeway was closed for several hours to help firefighters get to the fire, Nugent said.
About 150 firefighters aided by a pair of helicopters fought the blaze, containing it within seven hours.
There were no injuries and no structures burned, Nugent said.
Nugent said the conditions felt more like a dry autumn day than the middle of winter. Temperatures reached 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 C) on Sunday in some parts of Riverside County.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.