Rosa Fire: Brush fire burning at 'rapid rate of spread' near Highway 74 above Palm Desert
A brush fire was spreading quickly near Highway 74, having grown to 120 acres in the mountains southwest of the Coachella Valley during the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 4.
Cal Fire described the blaze, the Rosa Fire, as burning at a "rapid rate" in vegetation located west of the community of Ribbonwood. That small unincorporated community is about 15 miles from the southern edge of Palm Desert's city limits.
In an update posted just before 2 p.m., the agency said the fire had grown to 120 acres, up from 30 acres a short time before. Aircraft were being called in to help fight the blaze, but so far no evacuations had been ordered.
A resident told The Desert Sun the fire was burning near the Santa Rosa pit stop gas station. Anza Electric sent a notification that power was being turned off in the area as a result of the fire.
California Highway Patrol officers were also in the process of closing Highway 74 between the junction at Highway 371 in Anza to the west and the outskirts of Pinyon Pines to the east, according to the agency's online incident log. The log stated that the fire was burning on both sides of the highway.
Why is the sun red? How Gifford Fire smoke alters appearance of the sky
This is a developing story.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Rosa Fire above Palm Desert: Location, size, evacuations, road closures
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