Brush fire
A helicopter flies over smoky terrain while fighting the Garden Fire near Bonsall. Photo credit: OnScene.TV

A North County fire rapidly burned through almost 50 acres Friday afternoon, prompting immediate evacuations in an area west of Interstate 15.

Firefighters arrived on scene to battle the flames, in the 3800 block of Lake Garden Drive, shortly after 1 p.m., according to Cal Fire San Diego. By 4 p.m. crews reported that they had halted the fire’s “forward rate of spread,” with plans to lift evacuations by 9 p.m.

By the early evening, though, Cal Fire was battling another blaze, with what crews regarded as a dangerous rate of spread, to the east near Warner Springs Resort.

The new alarm followed a difficult afternoon in Bonsall, in which that blaze, initially described as “a small vegetation fire on the hill side,” gathered enough momentum that officials warned it had the potential to burn 100 acres or more.

Residents soon were ordered to leave. Mandatory evacuations were issued by 1:25 p.m., according to San Diego County’s Alert San Diego website, for an area roughly stretching from parts of San Luis Rey Heights to Pala Mesa, west of I-15.

The evacuation zone extends south of Foxglove Lane, north of Pala Road, east of Gird Road and west of Via Altamira.

Other areas are under evacuation warnings, include:

  • North of Pala Mesa Drive near the Pala Mesa Golf Course, from Daisy Lane to I-15
  • Land off Old Highway 395 east of Via Altamira
  • North of Laketree Drive, south of Country Road, east of Gird and west of Wilt Road.

Evacuees are being directed to Riverview Church, 4980 Sweetgrass Lane in Bonsall, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.

Road closures include Gird at state Route 76 and Wilt and Pala Mesa Drive.

After 5 p.m. officials said the Garden Fire had burned 48 acres and was at 20% containment. “Ground and air resources,” according to the North County Fire Protection District, were “making good progress.”

Soon afterward, one evacuation order, for a small strip west of Gird, north of Knottwood Way and south of Nettle Place, had been lifted. By late evening, firefighters said they would remain on scene “all night” to strengthen containment lines.

CalFire established a command with the fire protection district and the sheriff’s office to respond. As crews gained control over a small fire on San Pasqual Valley Road in Escondido they quickly began to divert resources to the Bonsall area.

Meanwhile, in Warner Springs near Highway 79, the Resort2Fire was 50% contained and had burned 30 acres, but unlike Bonsall, there were no evacuations or threats to structures. Cal Fire planned to keep crews on scene through the night to strengthen control lines.

Forecasters had issued a red flag warning this week to alert the region of fire dangers due to winds and low humidity. It expired late Friday morning, but dry conditions that officials said could lead to extreme fire behavior persist.

Updated 6:10 and 8 p.m. Nov. 8, 2024