Video: Reporter Kitty Alvarado

Video: Reporter Kitty Alvarado

MURRIETA - A 65-acre wildfire near the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve west of Murrieta was fully contained today.

The blaze broke out for unknown reasons about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday in dense brush near Clinton Keith Road and Avenida La Cresta, said Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department.

About 280 firefighters, two helicopters, six air tankers and two bulldozers were able to get the upper hand on the fire Wednesday night, and the fire was 100 percent contained by noon today, she said.

One firefighter was taken to a hospital Wednesday afternoon for treatment of a heat-related illness, Hagemann said.

Clinton Keith Road was closed at Bear Creek Road in Murrieta, and only motorists showing proper identification were escorted through the fire area, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Wildfire near Santa Rosa Plateau is 75% contained, 65 acres blackened

Full containment on the so called Clinton fire is expected by this evening. The fire charred 65 mapped acres. No evacuations were necessary but many La Cresta residents were frustrated by the closure of, Clinton Keith Road, the main road to the gated community.

"I am so frustrated and desperate to get home, I've been waiting here since 2:00 when I got off work and it's 6:00, they haven't told us anything, we're just waiting here. There's a way around but I'm afraid to go that way," said Karina Silva.

The Neumann family, on vacation from Germany were on their way up the hill to visit friends. They seemed to be the only ones out of the dozens of passengers in the more than 60 cars that lined the street that seemed in a good mood. They laughed curiously and explained that they were not surprised there was a wildfire in California because they know all about the state's notorious fires.

"We went to Universal Studios Hollywood, but didn't see any celebrities," said Karen Neumann adding that firefighters was as close as they'd gotten to seeing stars.

What they were in shock about and couldn't stop talking about was the giant food portions in the United States.

"We're not going to wait, we're going to go eat this giant sandwich we bought and come back and see if it's (the road) open. Look at this sandwich it's huge, everything we eat here is like that, the small sodas are large," said Karen laughing adding, "I can't believe it, we don't want to go home fat."

When they found out the road wouldn't be reopened until 8:00 at night they said they'd take the detour through De Luz Road in Temecula, and weren't afraid because roads in Germany were mountainous and looked forward to the

adventure.

No homes were damaged and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

MURRIETA - A wildfire blackened about 85 acres today near the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve west of Murrieta, prompting a road closure and stranding some school students, but no structures were threatened.

The blaze broke out for unknown reasons about 1:15 p.m. in dense brush near Clinton Keith Road and Avenida La Cresta, said Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department.

About 280 firefighters, two helicopters, six air tankers and two bulldozers had the blaze 40 percent contained by 5 p.m., she said, with full containment expected about midnight.

One firefighter was transported to a hospital for treatment of a heat- related illness, Hagemann said.

Clinton Keith Road was closed at Bear Creek Road in Murrieta and motorists were being asked to obey barricades, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The road closure affected Cole Canyon Elementary, Thompson Middle School and Murrieta Valley High School students who normally take the bus home, according to Karen Parris, a spokeswoman for the Murrieta Valley School District.

Sixteen students were being kept at Cole Canyon and Murrieta Valley High School until their parents could pick them up, Parris said.

Power was shut off at 2:22 p.m. to 1,018 Southern California Edison customers in the Wildomar area at the request of firefighters, said Edison spokeswoman Lauren Bartlett.