NORCO : Firefighters Gain Control of Blaze

A fire that raged through 900 acres of brush, grass and trees and torched two hay shelters was wrestled under control by firefighters who surrounded it Sunday afternoon, authorities said. The blaze, which broke out Saturday afternoon, was believed caused by children, possibly playing with matches, said California Department of Forestry-Riverside County Fire Department dispatcher Jeff Lloyd. He said an investigation into the fire’s cause was continuing. About 225 firefighters from Orange and Riverside counties, the cities of Corona and Norco, and the state departments of Forestry and Corrections battled the blaze at its height, Lloyd said. No one was injured. The fire, declared contained at 2 p.m. Sunday, burned mostly along the Santa Ana River bottom, where it crackled through bamboo, brush, trees and thick grass. Although the damp river bottom provided some aid in slowing the fire’s advance, the steep, slippery terrain also made it difficult for firefighters to get close to the blaze, Lloyd said.