A wildfire blackened swaths of open terrain Tuesday in a remote, rugged area in the arid eastern reaches of San Diego County.
The blaze erupted for unknown reasons about 4 p.m. near Ranchita, northeast of Julian in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, according to Cal Fire.
As of 6 p.m., the slow-moving flames had spread over about 20 acres as firefighters fought the fire on the ground and aboard firefighting aircraft, said Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette.
By then, personnel aboard air tankers had gotten the burn area encircled by fire retardant, Cornette said.
The cause of the blaze, which caused no reported structural damage or injuries, was under investigation.
City News Service contributed to this article.
