Crews fight Smiley fire; 124-acre blaze 75% contained

Fire crews continued battling the Smiley fire north of Moreno Valley on Saturday evening.

The 124-acre blaze, located in wildland area between Moreno Valley and Redlands, was 75% contained as of 7:45 p.m. Jody Hagemann, public information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department, said officials estimated it would be fully contained by 10 p.m.

Crews planned to remain on site throughout the night and Sunday until the fire was completely controlled.

“We stay until it’s completely out,” Hagemann said.

The fire, in a rural area known as Reche Canyon, was first reported around 3 p.m. near the intersection of Smiley Boulevard and Vista Suelto Road. There are some homes in the area, Hagemann added, but no damage to structures had been reported. There were also no injuries associated with the fire.

At 7:45 p.m., Cal Fire reported that “illegal shooting” was determined to be the cause of the fire. It is asking that people with any knowledge of shooters in the vicinity call the arson/tip line at (800) 633-2836.

The department will continue to post updates about the Smiley fire on its website and on Twitter.

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