Brush fire burning near Lake Elsinore is stopped at 5 acres

Firefighters threw substantial resources at a small brush fire near Lake Elsinore on Saturday, Sept. 21, and prevented it from growing past about five acres.

The fire burned in the area of Olive Street and Garner Road just south of the lake and slightly outside the city limits in a community at the base of the Cleveland National Forest known as Lakeland Village.

Initial reports said the fire had burned a quarter-acre with a moderate rate of spread. Tawny Cabral, a spokeswoman for the Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department, said at 1:30 p.m. that heavy winds were not anticipated.

Nevertheless, Cal Fire, Murrieta Fire & Rescue and U.S. Forest Service engines responded, as did inmate hand crews and firefighting aircraft.

Cal Fire said about 2:30 p.m. that the spread of the flames had been stopped and that crews would remain there for about five hours.

The cause of the fire was not immediately announced.