Fire crews in Riverside County responded Monday afternoon to two separate brush fires that broke out within minutes of each other in hot, dry conditions. The larger incident, dubbed the Nichols Fire, started near Interstate 15 and Nichols Road in Lake Elsinore. It quickly expanded from about 5 acres to roughly 30 acres before slowing, officials on scene said. The blaze was moving north-northeast but was not threatening structures. An aerial attack was mounted with Air Attack 310, tankers 72 and 73, and Copter 609. About 35 miles east in Banning, crews tackled the smaller Bluff Fire near Bluff and Dunlop streets. That blaze grew to around 5.5 acres before firefighters corralled its flanks, allowing aircraft assigned to the incident—Air Attack 12 and tankers 70 and 71—to stand down without dropping retardant. Both fires remained active but largely under control by early evening, and no injuries or property damage were reported.