Sparks from stolen car touch off brush fire
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A wildfire that spread across 430 acres of brush near the San Diego County line was caused by sparks from a stolen car, fire officials said Tuesday.
The fire began just before 3 p.m. Monday near Carancho Road and Calle Colina, west of Interstate 15. The chassis of the speeding black Honda hit a dip in the road, generating sparks that set vegetation along the road ablaze, said Jody Hagemann of the Riverside County Fire Department. Witnesses told investigators they saw three teenage boys running from the scene.
Riverside County fire officials said the blaze was 50% contained Tuesday, with full containment expected by 8 a.m. today. About 700 firefighters were on the scene, assisted by four helicopters and two air tankers dropping fire retardant, Hagemann said. Anyone with information on the fire is asked to call (800) 633-2836.
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