A fast-moving wildfire that prompted evacuations of scores of back-country homes in the far southeastern reaches of San Diego County acres was 41% contained on Friday night, Cal Fire San Diego reported.
The only reported injury from the 466-acre blaze was a minor case of heat- related trauma suffered by a firefighter.
The blaze, called the Coyote Fire, erupted for unknown reasons about noon Thursday amid heavy winds in rugged, hilly terrain off Coyote Holler Road in Potrero, approximately 5 miles north of Tecate, according to Cal Fire.
Ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters fought the fire as it moved toward rural residences, said Mike Cornette, a fire captain with the state agency.
As of 3:30 p.m. Thursday, the blaze was posing imminent threats to homes along Horizon View Drive, Round Potrero Road and Yerba Santa Road, Cal Fire reported.
Ninety minutes later, the burn area had roughly doubled and remained fully uncontained, Cornette said. By then, however, the spread of the 400-acre conflagration had slowed as winds grew milder.
One structure and one outbuilding have been destroyed by the fire, Cal Fire is reporting.
Over the afternoon, the fire was an immediate threat to about 80 homes, Cornette said.
A temporary shelter was established for the displaced residents at Mountain Empire High School on Buckman Springs Road in Pine Valley, the county sheriff’s department advised. Those with animals, including livestock, in need of a safe haven were directed to take them to the San Diego County South Shelter on Sweetwater Road in Bonita.
Round Potrero Road is closed between Yerba Santa Road and Potrero Valley Road.
The Mountain Empire Unified School District voluntarily evacuated Potrero Elementary School on Thursday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
All schools in the district will be closed Friday, the San Diego County Office of Education announced.
Updated at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18, 2023
–-City News Service and Staff Reports