A fast-moving wildfire blackened scores of brushy open acres near Sycuan Casino Resort Tuesday afternoon, prompting road closures and residential evacuations before crews gained the upper hand.
The blaze erupted for unknown reasons about 3 p.m. off Sloane Canyon Road in the Dehesa area, moving toward some sparsely developed residential neighborhoods but away from the casino just south of Harbison Canyon, according to Cal Fire.
Within 45 minutes, the flames had charred about 25 acres as ground crews and personnel aboard firefighting aircraft worked to subdue the blaze, said Issac Sanchez, a fire captain with the state agency. About an hour later, the burn area had grown roughly eightfold.
Deputies closed sections of Dehesa Road, Sloane Canyon Road and Sycuan Truck Trail, and cleared people out of homes on the latter rural route as a precaution, sheriff’s Lt. Ted Greenawald said.
By 5:15 p.m., firefighters had the spread of the blaze halted at about 200 acres, Cal Fire advised, with no reported structural damage or injuries.
— City News Service
