Fire in Riverside Park
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – Riverside Fire Department arson investigators Monday were seeking the public’s help identifying one or more juveniles who possibly ignited a blaze that damaged a fence and consumed vegetation in a park.
The non-injury blaze was reported shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday in Rancho Loma Park, in the area of Rancho Loma Drive and Golden Avenue, on the west end of the city, according to the fire department.
Battalion Chief Pat Hopkins said three engine crews, numbering around a dozen personnel, were sent to the location and encountered flames “burning along a fence separating the park from a canal.”
A palm tree and bushes were in flames, along with a portion of the fence, Hopkins said.
He said crews completely knocked down the blaze at 5:45 p.m.
“Witnesses reported watching a group of juveniles leave the area, and one witness had video evidence of a possible suspect,” the fire department spokesman said.
Damage caused by the fire was estimated at $20,000.
Arson investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward.
The investigative unit can be reached at either fire@riversideca.gov or 951-354-2007.
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