RRU - Vegetation Fire - Range Incident - 9-30-12

(Press Enterprise)The Range Fire, which was started by recreational shooters and burned more than 350 acres in the rugged terrain south of Banning, was fully contained Monday evening, Oct. 1.
Fire officials originally expected to have the flames surrounded Monday morning, but the terrain and weather conditions delayed containment until about 6:30 p.m. The forecasted high in Banning on Monday was 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, and relative humidity was low.
Four fire crews and nine engines were on the scene Monday. The fire started on land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management and used for shooting, in a remote area east of Old Idyllwild Road and south of Shirleon Drive. Investigators determined that recreational shooters caused the fire, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Jody Hagemann said. The agency will be looking for whoever started the fire, Hagemann said. Though some shooters were seen in the area near the time it started, she said no suspects have been identified. An estimate released mid-Monday said the fire had burned 364 acres. It destroyed a shed and some abandoned vehicles. Four firefighters sustained minor injuries.

I arrived at the water filling point for the rotorwing aircraft and got a few shots.

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Photo by EPN-564