Three wildfires broke out along Interstate 15 in northeastern San Diego County early Tuesday morning amid gusty Santa Ana winds, prompting evacuations, Cal Fire reported.
Inland areas of the county are under a red flag warning, with the National Weather Service predicting east winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 65 mph.
The first fire was the Lilac Fire, which started around 1:20 a.m. near Old Highway 395 and Lilac Road, prompting evacuations as the blaze grew to 80 acres by 7:30 a.m. with containment at 10%.
The evacuation area stretches east of Interstate 15 to Route 76. A temporary evacuation point is at Castle Creek Country Club located at 8797 Circle R Drive in Escondido.
The second, smaller Pala Fire broke out around 2:15 a.m. near Pala Mesa and has grown to 17 acres, according to Cal Fire.
The agency said forward progress of that fire had been stopped and evacuation orders lifted.
The third, a relatively small blaze called the Riverview Fire, is burning slightly northwest of Pala.
#RiverviewFire – Santa Margarita Drive in Fallbrook, Forward Rate of Spread has been stopped at approximately one acre. We are working closely with our cooperators and public safety partners as conditions change. Please follow EVACUATION notifications and stay prepared.
— CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) January 21, 2025
“Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the state are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow,” Cal Fire said.
The San Diego Sheriff’s Office said evacuees can take large animals to CRC Ranch, 43101 Anza Road in Temecula.
