Volcano fire burns 200 acres near Murrieta as evacuation orders ease

Firefighters in Riverside County continue to battle the Volcano Fire, which has burned about 200 acres of medium brush near Murrieta and is now 25 percent contained.

The fire broke out at around 2:50 PM on Tuesday near Via Volcano and Tenaja Road in the La Cresta area, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Crews deployed multiple air and ground resources to tackle the blaze, with extra fire engines and aircraft called in to strengthen the response.

The wildfire is burning close to the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve and threaten ed nearby homes.

No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

As firefighters gained ground, authorities downgraded evacuation orders for most affected areas. As of 8:30 PM a mandatory evacuation order remained in place only for zone RVC-2146, while several surrounding zones were under evacuation warnings.

Officials opened an evacuation shelter at Chaparral High School in Temecula for displaced residents.

An animal evacuation shelter was also established at the Murrieta Equestrian Center.

Fire crews remain at the scene as containment efforts continue and officials monitor conditions in the area.