PHOTOS: Firefighters Respond to Hay Fire Next to Santa Ana River

Firefighters from Riverside and Fontana responded Monday to a fire in a hay storage facility in an industrial area south of Colton just north of the Santa Ana River.

Smoke from the fire was visible for miles in an area including Riverside, Rialto and Loma Linda.

Hay, tires and roofing materials burned in the blaze, Fontana Fire Capt. Brett Henry of Station 77 said at the scene.

"We went defensive on this, eventually we're going to have to go in and mop it up and turn it around," Henry said. "We went defensive on it because there was no life hazard in there and once that hay starts going it goes."

Henry was on Truck 77, one of at least two ladder trucks on scene. Firefighters used ladder-mounted water cannon to knock down the fire.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the fire, which broke out about noon Nov. 26.

The area appeared to be near the San Bernardino County-Riverside County line, Henry said. The industrial area where the fire occurred is north of the Santa Ana River wash.

The fire burned in a hay storage area behind businesses in the 1900 block of Brown Avenue, off Agua Mansa Road between the 60 Freeway and Interstate 10.

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