While local residents may be fearful after seeing flames from a massive fire near Palomar Mountain in San Diego County, fire officials said Tuesday night they are more concerned that a raging blaze south of De Luz could be the first to reach Riverside County.

The red glow of flames from the Poomacha fire near Palomar Mountain were visible from Riverside County on Tuesday afternoon as that fire ripped across the Cleveland National Forest in San Diego County. As of about 7:30 p.m., that blaze had charred about 20,000 acres.

Cheri Patterson, spokeswoman for the Riverside County Fire Department, said that fire is still "many miles" south of the county line.

"We don't feel it is a threat to enter Riverside County for 12 to 36 hours," she said. And that's only if it continues north toward Aguanga, she said, adding that weather and wind patterns will ultimately dictate which way it heads.

Patterson said Riverside County fire officials are working with Pechanga fire officials in keeping a close eye on the blaze, which is still about 10 miles from the Pechanga Indian Reservation and even farther from Temecula.

"The Rice Canyon fire is a bigger concern for us right now," Patterson said.

That fire, which has burned 6,100 acres while tearing its way through Fallbrook, is only about two or three miles from the Riverside County portion of De Luz should it cross over from North San Diego County.

"We are watching that fire very closely," Patterson said.

Contact staff writer John Hall at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2628, or jhall@californian.com.