A fire of unknown origin spread Tuesday afternoon through a field in Ramona, blackening about four open acres before ground and air crews could douse the flames.
The blaze erupted shortly before 1 p.m. in the area of Hanson Lane and Keyes Road, just west of Swartz Canyon County Park, according to Cal Fire.
It took firefighters, including personnel in air tankers and water-dropping helicopters, about a half-hour to halt the spread of the flames, said Isaac Sanchez, a fire captain with the state agency.
No structural damage or injuries were reported.
It was unclear what sparked the blaze, which broke out hours before the predicted onset of a strong Santa Ana wind event that promises to seriously heighten local wildfire hazards for several days.
— City News Service
