Bain fire scorches Jurupa Valley

The Bain Fire turned a stretch of Jurupa Valley along the Santa Ana River bottom into an active evacuation zone on Tuesday, May 19, after flames broke out near Limonite Avenue and Bain Street. CAL FIRE listed the wildfire at 1,375 acres and 10% contained as of 1:35 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20, with the cause under investigation. Four civilians were injured, according to KTLA and City News Service reports citing fire officials. Evacuation orders and warnings remained in place overnight, and CAL FIRE said crews would stay on scene to build containment lines. ### Where did the fire start, and how fast did it grow? The Bain Fire was first reported at about 11:22 a.m. on May 19 near Bain Street and Limonite Avenue in Jurupa Valley, just north of the Hidden Valley Nature Center, according to CAL FIRE and Riverside County fire authorities. The fire burned through heavy brush in the river bottom and spread with shifting winds, local television and wire reports said. (fire.ca.gov) By 3:30 p.m., CAL FIRE Intel aircraft had mapped the fire at 907.4 acres with 0% containment, City News Service reported through KESQ. By 8:25 p.m., CAL FIRE updated the acreage to 1,375 acres, and the agency’s incident page later showed 10% containment. ### Which neighborhoods were under evacuation orders? (ktla.com) CAL FIRE said evacuation orders covered zones including JUR-0180, RIV-0182, JUR-0181-A, JUR-0185 and RIV-0186 early on May 20. The agency also listed a broader set of evacuation warnings across parts of Jurupa Valley, Riverside and Norco-adjacent zones, while noting that some order and warning designations had changed during the night. (kesq.com) KTLA reported road closures on Arlington Avenue at Mitchell Avenue and at Substation Road/Crestview Drive. Earlier on May 19, City News Service said Riverside police and sheriff’s deputies closed Arlington between Hidden Valley Nature Center Drive and Western Hills Drive. ### What damage and injuries were reported? (fire.ca.gov) Four civilians were hurt in the fire, KTLA reported, citing fire officials. Three people suffered smoke inhalation and one had traumatic injuries, the station said. City News Service reported that the person with traumatic injuries was taken to a Riverside hospital, while the others were assessed by paramedics. (ktla.com) KTLA said several vacant structures and storage containers were damaged. The station also reported that dried bamboo collapsed in the riverbed and was burning out of control, adding to firefighting difficulty. ### Why did this fire matter beyond the burn area? Jurupa Valley’s Mira Loma area sits beside a dense warehouse and trucking corridor in the western Inland Empire, and the fire’s footprint pushed toward homes, roads and industrial access routes near the river bottom. (ktla.com) CAL FIRE and local outlets described closures and evacuation activity on arteries used by residents and commercial traffic in the area. The immediate issue for nearby occupiers was access. Evacuation zones, police closures and active fire operations can interrupt employee travel, truck routing and yard movements even when a warehouse itself is outside the fire perimeter. That is an inference based on the location of the fire and the reported closures near Mira Loma industrial districts. (fire.ca.gov) ### What were firefighters dealing with on the ground? CAL FIRE said air and ground resources would remain on scene overnight to build containment lines and continue water and retardant drops. KTLA reported crews were working on both sides of the river bottom and contending with shifting winds. KESQ, citing City News Service, reported downed power lines in the immediate vicinity of the river bottom, adding hazards for firefighters and residents. (fire.ca.gov) ABC7 reported crews had to push through heavy vegetation to reach parts of the fire. ### Where could residents check the next updates? (ktla.com) CAL FIRE listed evacuation information, perimeter maps and shelter locations on its Bain Fire incident page early May 20. The agency named La Sierra Senior Center in Riverside and the Jurupa Community Center on Pedley Road as shelters tied to the incident. The next official updates were set to come through CAL FIRE’s incident page and evacuation map as crews worked remaining hot spots and containment lines on May 20. (kesq.com) (fire.ca.gov)