Three small fires possibly sparked by wind-severed power lines blackened about one-third of an acre Tuesday off State Route 94, near Clark Ranch.
The non-injury blazes in the Dulzura area began spreading shortly before 9 a.m., according to Cal Fire.
Arriving firefighters encountered several downed power lines, making it difficult at first for them to get close to the flames, said Kendal Bortisser, a fire captain with the state agency.
It took the personnel about an hour to contain the blazes, which eventually merged into a single burn area, the captain said.
About 650 homes in the area were without power in the area at the time of the fire, according to San Diego Gas & Electric. By late morning, repair crews had restored service to about half of those customers, the utility reported.
A “red flag” wildfire warning is in effect for valley and mountain areas today, with gusts in excess of 65 mph likely, according to the National Weather Service.
–City News Service
