Shore Fire: Evacuation orders issued for 2,000-acre brush fire burning near Calimesa in Riverside County

CALIMESA, Calif. () — A brush fire in Riverside County has grown to more than 2,000 acres and prompted evacuation orders Monday, authorities said.

The Shore Fire was first reported at 3:23 p.m. in a sparsely populated area near Lake Shore Drive and San Timoteo Canyon Road in the Badlands, southwest of Calimesa, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The agency said multiple engine and hand crews from the county, Hemet Fire Department, Palm Springs Fire Department and Cal Fire-San Bernardino County were sent to the location, which is on the north side of the rugged expanse between Interstate 10 to the north and the 60 Freeway to the south.

Evacuation orders were issued for zones RVC-0231-B and RVC-0231C, according to Cal Fire. Several other evacuation warnings were also issued.

For more information on evacuation warnings and orders, visit fire.ca.gov.

Highway 60 westbound at Interstate 10 was shut down as crews worked to extinguish the blaze. Officials said the westbound lanes would be closed for several hours, while Highway 60 eastbound remains open.

The fire stood at about 2,053 acres as of 11:30 p.m., according to Cal Fire. Containment is at 20%.

An evacuation center was established for people and pets at Valley View High School in Moreno Valley. Large animal intakes were also available at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus in San Jacinto.

City News Service contributed to this report.