Brush fire breaks out behind Callaway Winery, burns 33 acres before being contained

The Serena Fire burned through an open field in Temecula’s wine country on Easter Sunday, closing the winery for the afternoon before Cal Fire got it under control.

A brush fire broke out behind Callaway Vineyard & Winery on Sunday afternoon, April 5, sending a plume of black smoke over Temecula’s wine country during one of the busiest weekends of the year.

The fire — dubbed the Serena Fire by Riverside County Fire Department — was reported at approximately 2:30 p.m. in an open field in the 32700 block of Rancho California Road, adjacent to both Callaway’s vineyards and the Sommers Bend neighborhood. Crews arriving on scene found 5 to 10 acres already burning and spreading at a moderate rate.

By 4 p.m., the fire had grown to 25 acres. Ground and air crews worked through the afternoon and into the evening, achieving full containment at 33 acres around 7:40 p.m., according to Riverside County Fire.

No evacuations were ordered, and no injuries were reported. The winery itself sustained minor damage — Callaway confirmed on Instagram that only a few grapevines were affected. They closed for the rest of the day but announced they’d reopen Monday at normal hours.

The fire broke out on Easter Sunday, when Rancho California Road was packed with visitors enjoying the holiday weekend. Several neighboring wineries and resorts — including Thornton, Churon, Miramonte, Bel Vino, and Europa Village — are located within close proximity to where the fire burned.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Update: An arrest was made in relation to the fire: https://heytemecula.com/arrest-made-in-easter-sunday-brush-fire-that-swept-through-temecula-wine-country/