Plan drops retardant
An aircraft drops retardant on the Pala Fire. Courtesy Cal Fire San Diego

Firefighters were battling a vegetation fire that broke out in Pala Saturday.

Units were dispatched around 11:10 a.m. Saturday to reports of smoke in a remote area of San Diego County, south of the Pala Casino near state Route 76, according to Cal Fire officials.

“The fire was held by retardant at one-eighth of an acre, with potential for 20 acres,” a Cal Fire public information officer told City News Service. “Aircraft are on scene and crews are hiking to situate control lines.”

The fire was a large spot in a rock outcropping with limited ground access. Units were expected to remain committed through the afternoon, fire officials said.

No evacuations or injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire was not immediately known.

— City News Service