A Spring Valley brush fire once described as burning at a “critical rate of spread” prompted a brief evacuation order Friday, authorities said.
The blaze, named the Lodge Fire, was reported in the middle of the afternoon on Jamacha Boulevard, near Doubletree Road, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
It consumed 75 open acres and threatened structures before crews halted its forward progress, which Cal Fire reported at 3:40 p.m. Crews have the fire 5% contained, officials said.
Residents in a zone east of Jamacha, roughly bounded by Trace Road and 10th Street, were ordered to evacuate. The area also includes Via Lampara, Via Madera and Bar Bit Road.
Authorities opened a temporary evacuation point, Skyline Church, 11330 Campo Road in La Mesa. By 4 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office had downgraded the order to an evacuation warning.
The hillside brush fire, northeast of Jamacha and Sweetwater Springs Boulevard, initially spread over about five open acres, according to Cal Fire.
Air tankers and water-dropping helicopters were “actively engaged” helping ground crews. Early on, the agency estimated that the fire had the potential to grow to between 200 and 300 acres.
San Miguel Fire & Rescue is also at the scene.
The cause of the blaze, which caused no structural damage or injuries, was under investigation, Cal Fire Capt. Robert Johnson said.
#LodgeFire [Update 9/5/25 3:40] The forward progress of the fire has been stopped and it is now 5% contained. Updated mapping products to follow shortly. pic.twitter.com/BSoxIs5loA
— CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) September 5, 2025
City News Service contributed to this report.
Updated 4:10 p.m. Sept. 5, 2025
