All evacuation orders were lifted at Camp Pendleton Saturday evening as military and civilian firefighters worked to contain three wildfires on the sprawling Marine Corps base that have blackened more than 22,000 acres.
The base’s commanding general ended the evacuations, but said orders for personnel to return to their assigned areas will be at the discretion of area commanders.
The latest blaze to break out at Camp Pendleton, dubbed both the Talega and San Mateo Fire, began spreading just before 11:30 a.m. Friday near Basilone Road, according to Cal Fire.
By mid-morning Saturday, it had grown to about 1,000 acres and was 25 percent contained, the state agency reported.
The fast-moving Las Pulgas Fire broke out about 3:15 p.m. Thursday near a sewage plant in the Las Pulgas area and has led to hundreds of evacuations. It had grown to about 15,000 acres and was about 40 percent contained Saturday.
The third fire, known as the Tomahawk Fire, erupted on Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook at the eastern outskirts of Camp Pendleton about 9:45 a.m. Wednesday and later spread to the Marine base.
The Tomahawk Fire has blackened about 6,500 acres and was 75 percent contained Saturday, according to military officials.
The causes of all three fires were under investigation.
The Fallbrook Navy facility lost power and remained closed Saturday. The Christianitos and Las Pulgas gates on Camp Pendleton also remained closed.
The following road closures remained in effect Saturday evening:
- Basilone Road from the air station to Camp Horno;
- Las Pulgas Road;
- San Mateo Road between Camp San Mateo and Camp San Onofre;
- Ammunition Road on Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook,
- Stuart Mesa Road from north of Assault Craft Unit 5 to the Las Pulgas gate.
– City News Service
