20 Acres of Brush Burn Near Riverside Freeway

More than 100 firefighters Tuesday night were battling a brush fire that had burned 20 acres south of the Riverside Freeway near Coal Canyon Road.

A spokesman for the Orange County Fire Department said investigators had determined the cause of the blaze, which injured one firefighter, as arson.

Reported at 2:41 p.m.

The slow-moving fire, which was reported at 2:41 p.m., was burning about half a mile west of Coal Canyon Road, spokeswoman Patti Range said. Originally officials had estimated the blackened area at 40 acres, but after some of the smoke cleared, it was determined to have burned about 20 acres, she said.

Firefighters surrounded and contained the fire by 5:50 p.m., but the fire was not expected to be extinguished until about midnight, she said.

No Structures Threatened

Communications supervisor Dave Kinneberg said the fire was caused by arson, but investigators were not releasing information about how and where the blaze was sparked.

No structures were threatened by the blaze, which burned through medium-size brush, Range said.

She said more than 100 firefighters from Orange County and Anaheim fire departments, the U.S. Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry fought the fire. An Orange County firefighter identified by Kinneberg as Jarette Lewellyn was treated at Placentia Linda Community Hospital for heat exhaustion, Range said.

She said 17 fire engines, one bulldozer, three ground water tankers, four hand crews and two fixed-wing aircraft making water drops were employed, while the Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter provided traffic control.