| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
Riverside County wildfire burns 1,668 acres, 70 percent contained
Wednesday August 20, 2003REDLANDS, Calif. (AP) A wildfire burning in the eastern Moreno Valley scorched an orange grove and destroyed several vehicles as it expanded to 1,668 acres before being contained Wednesday evening.
A second blaze, north of Los Angeles near suburban Santa Clarita, charred about five acres Wednesday and threatened several homes before it was contained, authorities said. Its cause was under investigation, Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Edward Oforio said.
The Moreno Valley blaze, which started Monday, was contained late Wednesday, said California Department of Forestry spokeswoman Joanne Evans.
Since it began, the fire has destroyed a motor home, a moving van, at least two outbuildings on a ranch and at least 14 vehicles. About 150 orange trees were scorched Wednesday but not destroyed, Evans said.
Two firefighters and a resident have been treated for minor injuries since the blaze began.
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