Firefighters are continuing to battle a fire that originally broke out on Camp Pendleton and has now burned hundreds of acres and spread into the Cleveland National Forest.
The fire began around 1:50 p.m. Monday on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton near San Mateo Creek, Cal Fire said. It has since burned into the remote San Mateo Wilderness within the Cleveland National Forest.
Crews from both the U.S. Forest Service and the Camp Pendleton Fire Department responded to the scene. Officials reported moderate growth overnight as the fire burns through heavy fuels, dense vegetation and difficult terrain.
The Mateo Fire was 10% contained as of late Tuesday morning. Fire crews conducted overnight operations to slow the flames and strengthen containment lines, aided by two helicopters. No structures or communities are currently threatened, officials said.
Crews were focusing on creating and managing containment lines while executing a full suppression attack on the fire, which had grown to almost 1,200 acres. The Cleveland National Forest was under elevated fire-use restrictions as a result.
Resources on the scene included two helicopters, eight hotshot crews, two Type 3 engines and one water tender, officials reported.
As Southern California weather heats up and dries out vegetation, fire officials urged the public to exercise extreme caution to prevent further blazes. According to forestry data, humans cause an average of 85% of all wildfires each year, with unattended or improperly extinguished camp fires serving as a major culprit.
Officials reminded the public that camp fires should never be left unattended, and they must be completely extinguished and cold to the touch before being abandoned.
