AGUANGA -- While several fires burned out of control throughout Southern California, firefighters attacking a blaze in a rural area less than 15 miles east of Temecula were confident they would be able to get the brush fire under control sometime Sunday night.

The fire, which started shortly before 4 p.m. near Roca Vista Road and Highway 371, had burned an estimated 250 acres by 8:30 p.m. and was about 40 percent surrounded, said information officer Matt DiIullo of the Riverside County Fire Department. About 200 firefighers from 30 engines responded to the scene, according to information from the Fire Department.

Winds that had blown ferociously Sunday afternoon had subsided after nightfall, greatly slowing the fire's progress, Herrera said.

"The wind has died down drastically, so it's improving our operations," Fire Department Capt. Fernando Herrera said. "We're hoping we can surround the fire in the next few hours. There's no heavy fire front. … For now, the fire has laid down substantially, so that has allowed us to get the upperhand with the wind diminishing and not having the high flames that we had."

Earlier in the day, the fire was propelled southwesterly by gusts estimated at 40 mph, winds that also prevented air support, according to the Fire Department.

The blaze spread quickly to 50 acres as it burned south along Highway 371, forcing officials to evacuate the Jojoba RV Resort and shut down the highway between Wilson Valley Road and Highway 79, fire officials said.

Later in the afternoon when winds abated, the fire department was able to get planes off the ground to drop retardant, officials said.

One mobile home was destroyed and its occupants assisted in finding temporary quarters by the Red Cross, Herrera said. One civilian was treated by an ambulance crew for smoke inhalation, officials said.

An evacuation center was opened at 6:30 p.m. at the Temecula Community Center at Rancho Vista and Margarita roads, but as of 7:30 p.m., Herrera said no additional evacuations had been ordered and DiIullo said later the mandatory evacuation was lifted.