A cross-border brush fire burning through remote and rugged terrain near Tecate Peak continued its spread on Wednesday, scorching hundreds of open acres and prompting evacuation warnings.
As of Wednesday morning, the fire had burned roughly a thousand acres and was approximately 5% contained.
Officials advised residents of nearby Engineer Springs to prepare to evacuate their homes on short notice if the flames continued spreading to the east toward their back-country neighborhoods.
In response to the fire, the American Red Cross opened an overnight shelter at the Spring Valley Community Center at 8735 Jamacha Blvd. Pets are welcome, they said.
The temporary evacuation point at the Regal Edwards Rancho San Diego Parking Lot in El Cajon has been closed, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
Ground crews had to labor over a rocky, mountainous landscape while battling the fire, along with personnel in air tankers and water-dropping helicopters.
No structural damage or injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
