A fire of unknown origin spread up a hillside just west of Lake Hodges late Thursday afternoon, briefly threatening two homes.
The blaze caused no structural damage or injuries before firefighters subdued the flames.
The blaze erupted shortly before 4:30 p.m. off Toyon Canyon Road and Del Dios Highway, east of Rancho Santa Fe, according to Cal Fire.
Deputies closed a stretch of the highway and evacuated the two endangered houses while ground crews worked on the fire. Air tankers and water-dropping helicopters joined in the fight, said Thomas Shoots, a Cal Fire spokesman.
It took firefighters about 15 minutes to stop the spread of the blaze, Shoots said. It blackened about three acres.
The road closure was expected to last into the evening as crews fully extinguished all remaining hot spots.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
– City News Service
