Chaparral Fire Near SD Swells To 1,425 Acres

San Diego CA

29 August, 2021

1:48 PM

Description

SAN DIEGO, CA — A fast-moving brush fire swelled to 1,425 acres and sent smoke over parts of San Diego and Riverside counties overnight. The blaze was 10 percent contained as of Sunday afternoon, officials said. The massive wildfire spans both Riverside and San Diego counties. On the Riverside County side, it is burning in the southwestern end of La Cresta, an unincorporated community at the foot of the Santa Ana mountains. One firefighter suffered minor injuries and at least two structures were destroyed in the smokey fire, which sparked early Saturday afternoon, according to Cal Fire. The burn area was initially measured at 25 acres before the fire tripled in size in just a few hours. The fire spurred evacuation orders for those north of Tenaja Truck Trail, south of Calle Cielo, east of Calle Collado and west of Calle Be Bietol, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. An evacuation warning was in place for those north of Tenaja Road, west of Calle Pino/Gallop Lane, south of Hombre Lane and west of Cleveland National Forest Road. "Residents should go now," the fire department said. READ MORE: Structures Destroyed In 1,425-Acre Brush Fire Near Murrieta An evacuation center was opened at Murrieta Valley High School, 42200 Nighthawk Way, fire officials said. Small animals can be taken to Animal Friends of the Valleys, 33751 Mission Trail in Wildomar. Large animals can be taken to the San Jacinto Animal Shelter, 581 S. Grand Ave., in San Jacinto. The blaze broke out just before 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon near Camp Pendleton, the Santa Rosa Plateau and La Cresta community, at the edge of the Cleveland National Forest in unincorporated Murrieta. The area is near the Tenaja Falls trailhead paved parking lot. The area is sparsely populated but is home to small ranches and estates in Tenaja, La Cresta, Meadow Oaks, La Cresta Highlands, Santa Rosa West, De Luz and others. Firefighters were battling the flames from the ground and air, including the use of four air tankers. U.S. Forest Service fire crews were assisting the 150 firefighters from Riverside and San Diego counties. The Orange County Fire Authority tweeted a picture of one of its helicopters making a water drop over a home.The smoke could be seen from Orange and San Diego counties. City News Service and Patch staffer Toni McAllister contributed to this report.