More than six dozen homes in a Calimesa mobile home park were destroyed after a garbage truck dumped a burning load that sparked a fire Thursday.
Dubbed the Sandalwood Fire, it broke out just before 2 p.m. and exploded to 500 acres within two hours, according to Cal Fire Riverside.
As of 8 p.m., the flames were 10% contained.
Sky5 was overhead as the blaze reduced several homes to blackened piles of debris.
The fire spread to the Villa Calimesa Mobile Home Park after the trash truck dumped its fiery load along Seventh Street, said Capt. Fernando Herrera with the Riverside County Fire Department. It has the potential to grow to 1,500 acres, Herrera said Thursday afternoon.
Ultimately 74 homes in the community were destroyed, and another 16 were damaged, according to fire officials.