A lightning strike fire on the east end of Anza Thursday triggered a roughly five-acre brush fire that crews partially contained within an hour thanks to the quick work of Cal Fire aircraft.
The non-injury "Everett Fire" was reported at 2:20 p.m. Thursday in a sparsely populated area near the intersection of Everett and El Toro roads, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
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The agency said multiple engine and hand crews were pulled from the 1,000-acre "Dale Fire" 10 miles to the west to engage the new brusher, which erupted after several lightning strikes from a fast-moving thunderstorm cell crossed along the boundary between Riverside and San Diego counties.
Two Cal Fire air tankers and a water-dropping helicopter initiated runs on the blaze less than 20 minutes after it started, slowing its advance as crews deployed along surrounding dirt roads to begin establishing tentative containment lines.
No structures were damaged.
As of 3 p.m., the fire's forward rate of spread had been stopped.
Thunderstorms remained a concern Thursday afternoon at the southern end of Riverside County, as well as the mountains of northern San Diego County.
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