A 25-acre wildfire whipped by strong winds is threatening structures and prompting evacuations in Jurupa Valley on Tuesday night, Dec. 17. The Soto Fire started around 7:48 p.m., quickly grew to 10 acres and posed a threat to some buildings, according to Capt. John Clingingsmith Jr., a spokesperson with Cal Fire/Riverside County. The blaze broke out in the area of Soto Street and Sedona Drive, according to Cal Fire. By 9 p.m. it had burned 30 acres, officials announced, but they soon clarified it was mapped at 25 acres, with no containment. Containment is the percentage of a fire’s perimeter – either because of a natural break or through digging lines – beyond which authorities believe the blaze will not spread. Fire officials couldn’t confirm the number of homes threatened. Evacuations were first reported in progress at Pebblewood Court, a street with homes, according to the Watch Duty app, where firefighters and others monitor and contribute to wildfire reports. Additional evacuations orders were quickly in place for Camino Real and the cross streets Laurel Ridge Drive, Cottontail Court, Black Hills Drive and Sundance Drive, according to Watch Duty, quoting Cal Fire. A scene from the Soto fire in Jurupa Valley on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (OnScene.TV) “Santa Ana winds are picking up in the Inland Empire right now and will peak across the region tonight,” the National Weather Service posted on X. “While not as strong as last week’s event, typically windy areas could experience gusts greater than 40 mph overnight.” Brittney Monzon, whose home is near the wildfire, said she was about to sit down for dinner when she learned of the blaze. “We get a call from the neighbor that our mountain is on fire,” she told a freelance news videographer from OnScene.TV as she stood outside her house and watched the flames burning nearby. Firefighters in Jurupa Valley get ready to battle the Soto fire on Dec. 17, 2024. (OnScene.TV)   Kylie Candiff, another resident in the area, also got a call that there was a fire outside and immediately alerted her family when she saw the hillside blazing, she told OnScene.TV. Thinking they would have to evacuate, her mother told her and her siblings to pack.“Initially, it looked really bad and we thought that our house was going to end up on fire, but luckily because it was windy the fire was able to be pushed on the other side of the hill,” Candiff said. “Unfortunately there are houses on the other side, so hopefully it will get taken care of.” Her father alerted others on their street, wanting to make sure everyone was aware of the flames. “He dashed to the house right ahead of us, he banged on their door and let them know there was a fire. He began going to every single other house. While the rest of us were packing, he made sure everyone else knew there was a fire right outside their backyard,” she said. No injuries were reported as of 9:30 p.m. The cause of the fire is under investigation. This is a developing story. Additional information will be added when it becomes available. Related Articles Crime and Public Safety | San Diego motorcyclist killed in Riverside County crash Crime and Public Safety | Sheriff’s deputy shoots, kills aggressive man in Redlands armed with rocks, authorities say Crime and Public Safety | Man brandished gun at Target employee, killed by El Monte police, authorities say Crime and Public Safety | Birth tourism scheme lands Rancho Cucamonga man a 3-year sentence Crime and Public Safety | Woodland Hills doctor’s ex-wife charged with murder; DA says she hired hit men to shoot him