Updated at 12:35 a.m:
Embers glowed in the night as crews worked to gain containment of a fire that spread quickly Sunday afternoon in Murrieta.
A command center was set up near the end of Hunter Road, past where a police roadblock was in place.
One RV and one shed were confirmed lost in the fire, according to Murrieta fire Chief Matt Shobert, but no primary residences.
No mandatory evacuations were in place, the chief said, and an evaucation center at Vista Murrieta High School had been shut down after no evacuees showed up.
About 35 homes were without power near Via La Colina, according to Southern Calfornia Edison. The outage was reported just after 5:30 p.m. and was expected to be restored by 3 a.m., according to SCE's website. It was unclear if the power outage was related to the fire, but the neighorhood is located near the fire lines.
The cause of the blaze was still under investigation, the chief said.
Crews were expected to remain on scene overnight knocking down hot spots and expanding the containment lines.
Winds had died down, which was working in firefighters' favor, Shobert said.
The fire was estimated at 150 acres; an official update on containment and acreage was not due until the morning, the chief said.
Schools in the Murrieta Valley Unified School District were expected to be open Monday.
"If anything changes we will send a phone call notifying parents," said Karen Parris, district spokesperson.
—Updated by Maggie Avants
Updated at 9:36 p.m.:
The fire in Murrieta was 40 percent contained Sunday night, with no word on when full containment was expected.
Murrieta firefighters were assisted in their efforts by Cal Fire, Riverside County sheriff's deputies and volunteers from sheriff's and MPD, according to MFD Chief Matt Shobert.
Updated at 8:30 p.m.:
At least 150 acres were burned Sunday in a rural area of Murrieta bordered by Whitewood, Los Alamos, Hunter and Murrieta Hot Springs roads.
Some 150 firefghters were at the scene, battling a blaze that began in the Warm Springs Preserve area and threatened between 100 and 200 homes.
The area affected by the fire was bordered by Whitewood Road to the west and Los Alamos to the north, Patch learned.
There was no containment or control information available Sunday evening.
"This fire moved so fast they did not have time to knock on doors," Murrieta fire Chief Matt Shobert told Patch.
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Updated at 8:08 p.m.:
From Patch reader Terri Kean Whitaker:
"This Fire is running from Temprano Park (Whitewood near my house) up the creek beside Murrieta Hot Springs Mobile Park heading towards Hogsback to Los Alamos Rd!
Bad Bad area to have a fire. Los Alamos is closed to Briggs Road and evacuations are in progress! Air support has stopped as darkness set in so ground crews, trucks are on site. Our home is safe! But pray for the folks in these areas!"
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Updated at 8:04 p.m.:
The Murrieta Valley Unified School District has opened Vista Murrieta High School to families whose homes were evacuated by the Warm Springs fire.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and firefighters!" reads a MVUSD Facebook post.
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Updated at 6:43 p.m.
There were three air tankers dropping retardant on the fire and a helicopter was pulling water to drop on the blaze.
Jonathan Power said his mother, who lives off Blackthorne Drive, was asked to leave her home.
The fire on the north was in the area of Los Alamos Road and on the east, Hunter Road, to the north of Winchester Road.
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Updated at 6:34 p.m.:
Winchester Road on its southeast side has been closed until further notice.
Updated at 6:05 p.m.
The fire is centered mainly on Los Alamos and Hunter roads, northeast of Temecula. If it were to jump Winchester Road, Murrieta fire says, it would move toward the French Valley Airport.
Acreage burned was not immediately available.
Updated at 5:55 p.m.:
Smoke can be seen from northern Temecula and police are shutting down Los Alamos Road.
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A fire broke out at Warm Springs Preserve in Murrieta Sunday, spreading quickly and threatening a number of homes in the area.
The fire was reported just before 5 p.m.
According to scanner chatter, some streets were shut off and people were trying to get out of the area of the preserve.
Keep checking with Patch for updates.
