Firefighters are working in scorching heat Thursday against a wildfire in eastern San Diego County that has so far burned more than 4,400 acres, destroyed three homes and left two people critically injured, authorities said.
The fire, called the Border 32 fire, ignited Wednesday afternoon and quickly spread, threatening the community of Potrero in San Diego County’s backcountry. A few hours later, the flames pushed south, jumped State Route 94 and burned to the US-Mexico border in the Tecate area.
At a press conference at Jamul Casino, county officials warned residents that the blustery weather will not change soon and urged them to be prepared in case this fire comes up again or other fires ignite.
“The fire is contained to 4,438 acres — it’s not expanding at this time,” said Cal Fire San Diego Chief Tony Mecham, who noted that firefighters are working in “absolutely miserable conditions.” Temperatures reached as high as 108 degrees Thursday at Barrett Lake, about six miles north of the fire’s origin.
Firefighters put out a fire Thursday just off State Route 94, north of the U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Tecate.
(Nelvin C. Cepeda/San Diego Union-Tribune)
“While I feel cautiously optimistic this afternoon about where we are, we also recognize that we are one spark over the firing line away from a repeat of yesterday afternoon,” Mecham said.
On Thursday evening, the fire was 14% contained. An evacuation order remained in place for much of the area, although residents west of Cochera Via Drive and east of Potrero Valley Road — near the outer edges of the fire — were allowed to go home.
At the height of the firefight, nearly 400 firefighters, aided by 14 aircraft, were working to control the flames, Mecham said.
In addition to the three homes, the fire destroyed three outbuildings, two boats, two RVs, three barns and a commercial structure, officials said.
Firefighters will likely work for the next seven days to extinguish the fire, Mecham said.
Officials emphasized how important it is for people to evacuate on call if a fire is burning in their area.
“If there’s an evacuation order, we need you to evacuate,” said County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, whose own home in City Heights was burned in January — the target of a suspected arson attack. He acknowledged that it can be difficult and distressing to leave a house threatened by fire.
But evacuating when ordered “not only protects life, but it makes the job of our first responders easier,” he said.
Supervisor Joel Anderson, who represents eastern San Diego County, said any resident suffering fire damage or losing their home should contact his staff for help.
“We are prepared and ready to go to help you get the appropriate permits to help you get back online as quickly as possible,” he said.
On Thursday afternoon, authorities allowed residents of the Barrett Lake mobile home park to return to their homes and pick up belongings, but not stay. The park off Barrett Lake Road was evacuated Wednesday shortly after the fire broke out.
Roberto Rodriguez was returning to his home to pick up his red 1965 Mustang, some clothes and electronics. His wife and two children, 13 and 4 years old, had left the house the day before and went to the evacuation center at Jamul Casino.
As he spoke, a helicopter made a water dump on a hill near the park. Rodriguez said he and his wife bought the house six months ago, and he was stressed about leaving it as the fire continued to burn.
“But the most important thing is my family,” he said. They were going to stay with a friend in Jamul.
Maricela Gaxiola and her husband returned Thursday afternoon to the house where they have lived for the past four years, with their two children, aged 8 and 10, and family dog Rambo. On Wednesday, she drove to the school in Potrero to pick up the children, but was unable to get to the park on the way back because the fast-moving fire had forced evacuations.
The family spent the evening at the Shelter Jamul Casino. Gaxiola’s husband was able to retrieve the family’s pickup and motorcycle, and they went back to grab clothes for the family. “I hope the fire department will be able to fully control the fire,” she said.
Firefighters inspect the area where a helicopter dropped water on a brush fire near Barrett Lake Mobile Home Park Thursday.
(Nelvin C. Cepeda/San Diego Union-Tribune)
At the Mountain Empire High School evacuation site, about 70 people showed up during the day. Some were also there Wednesday, said Capt. Israel Pinzon of Cal Fire San Diego. He said the evacuees were in good spirits but anxious.
“They really want to get back to their homes,” he said. “They want to be able to feed their animals. Some people could not enter their homes because they were at work. Some people have pets. And of course some of them want to know if their house is still open.
On the spot, the evacuees had water and food, and the food was prepared. The Red Cross was on hand to help with medical needs and the San Diego Humane Society helped with food, bowls and blankets for pets.
Pets at the shelter include 23 dogs, a chicken, four cats, two geckos and a guinea pig, according to the San Diego Humane Society.
County officials praised the work of firefighters, sheriff’s deputies, California Highway Patrol officers and others to rescue and evacuate residents as the flames grew closer. Animal services personnel rescued horses in the Barrett Lake area around midnight “under fire conditions,” Mecham said.
Officials said the county Department of Animal Services and the San Diego Humane Society rescued 15 animals overnight, including horses, turtles, cats, dogs and a cow. On Thursday, their teams rescued a llama and a horse that had gotten loose. They also checked on animals in the evacuation zone to make sure they had water and food.
Mecham said two people suffered second- and third-degree burns and were taken by helicopter to the UC San Diego Burn Center. He said he had no information on the identities of the victims.
A burned road sign off State Route 94.
(Nelvin C. Cepeda/San Diego Union-Tribune)
First responders also assisted five migrants Wednesday night who apparently crossed the border and found themselves in the middle of the fire. Border Patrol agents, sheriff’s deputies and firefighters rescued the five, who “made their way onto Highway 94 and were in danger,” Mecham said. He said the group was turned over to Border Patrol agents.
“While they were not injured, I can tell you that these people were running for their lives last night and their faces expressed what they were going through,” Mecham said. “They had a very close call.”
The fire led authorities to close the US-Mexico border crossing in Tecate, and State Route 94 was essentially closed from Campo to Dulzura. The border crossing was expected to remain closed on Friday morning.
Schools in the Mountain Empire Unified School District and the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District were closed Thursday and will be closed again Friday, the San Diego County Office of Education said.