Crews continued to battle two fires while a new one began at Camp Pendleton Friday, including one that rapidly accelerated overnight to consume 8,000 acres, according to base officials.
New evacuations began early Friday afternoon, via Twitter, and continued by 2 p.m.:
- The 5th Marine Regiment directed people on base in the San Mateo area, or 62 Area, to leave through the Christianitos gate and go to the Paige Field House.
- The Camp Pendleton Scout said SOI-W should leave the Interstate 5 area and report to Edson Range and that those in San Onofre Housing should move down I-5, also to Paige Field House.
A CalFire official said firefighters had a new outbreak of flames at Basilone Road near Interstate 5 that had burned up to 30 acres, but was likely to lose fuel as it approached areas that had already been charred.
The base is updating an online list of evacuations and closed facilities because of the fires, which have burned 14,000 acres on base.
The fast-moving Las Pulgas Fire, which was 5 percent contained at midday, broke out about 3:15 p.m. Thursday near a sewage plant in the Las Pulgas area and has led to hundreds of evacuations.
The second fire being fought at Camp Pendleton, known as the Tomahawk Fire, erupted around 9:45 a.m. Wednesday and has scorched about 6,300 acres on the eastern outskirts of Camp Pendleton. Base officials said via the county that it’s about 23 percent contained, though CalFire placed the estimate at 15 percent Friday at a news briefing.
The Tomahawk Fire began at the Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook at the edge of Camp Pendleton, then spread onto the sprawling North County Marine Corps installation. The Fallbrook facility lost power and remains closed today.
The causes of both blazes are under investigation.
– City News Service
