Evacuation orders were issued in Sorrento Valley on Monday because of a fast-moving brush fire that quickly grew, reaching 90 acres by the evening.
As of around 3 p.m., the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said crews had halted the forward progress of the blaze, with the flames 20% contained. About two hours later, the containment area had doubled and San Diego police had announced that evacuation warnings had been lifted, though three evacuation orders remained in place.
More than 2,200 homes and businesses were under evacuation orders earlier in the day and CalFire San Diego was assisting in the battle, with “dozers … actively working on containment lines.”
The fire broke out around 9:20 a.m. at the southwestern end of Los Penasquitos Canyon Preserve and was moving rapidly through the area.
The San Diego Police Department announced evacuations in the preserve and surrounding homes – near where Interstates 5 and 805 meet – in zones SDC-1492-B, SDC-1444-B, SDC-1494, SDC-1444-A and SDC-1443.
Residents were urged to “Leave immediately. Take essential items, pets, medications and important documents. Do not wait.” After SDFD announced that firefighters had stopped the Sorrento Fire’s progress, police said they would soon “begin repopulating some of the affected areas.”
Orders remained though in zones SDC-1444-B and C, along with SDC-1492-C as of shortly after 5 p.m..
A temporary evacuation point was been set up at Mandell Weiss Eastgate Park, at the intersection of Eastage Mall and Regent Road.
San Diego Fire-Rescue said ground crews were joined by four helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft dropping water and retardant. Officials also warned that a drone had been spotted over the fire area.
They asked that the person or agency “please land your drone immediately and keep the airspace clear so firefighting aircraft can safely support crews on the ground.”
Sorrento Valley Boulevard is completely closed between Vista Sorrento Parkway and Camino Santa Fe.
Evacuees were directed to the parking lots outside of the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, then told to cross Regents Road to reach Mandell Weiss Eastgate City Park. Many chose to remain in their cars while water from a faulty sprinkler system flowed over the hot asphalt below.
The Office of Emergency Services had a coordinator on site, handing out water while helping connect residents to emergency services, such as the American Red Cross. They arranged for the Humane Society to hand out food to owners for their pets.
Ray Lane is a resident of Torrey Hills, a neighborhood with two areas that received evacuation orders at 10:17 a.m. in the south and, later, at 10:48 a.m. in the north.
He was first alerted by the Watch Duty app soon after the fire sparked, but couldn’t smell anything or see anything but clear, blue skies. When the order came through, his family gathered their essential belongings.
Time-lapse of the #SorrentoFire in San Diego captured by ALERTCalifornia's UCSD TDLLN1 camera showing the start and growth through the morning. Look to @SDFD for updates and see conditions live on our camera located on @UCSanDiego's campus at: https://t.co/ybQ8M3NUHx pic.twitter.com/Ee6q2HYw2z
— ALERTCalifornia (@ALERTCalifornia) June 8, 2026
“I had to actively believe that the information I was getting was accurate, that we were somehow in danger even though our senses weren’t telling us that,” Lane said.
Luna, his 18-pound cat, fought every step of the way as they tried to evacuate. After diving under the sofa and clawing through Lane’s protective gloves, she was finally caught by her scruff and put into the family’s car – packed alongside another senior cat and two chihuahuas.
“You have to focus your attention on the greater threat, which at that moment was Luna,” Lane said, holding up his bandaged right hand. “We have four pets. One of our cats is 19; we don’t even take her to the vet anymore, she can’t handle it. Luna is like a wildcat: very, very difficult to get into a carrier.”
Lane’s son lives in Mira Mesa, and his daughter was away at class. He called both of them to ensure they were safe, then turned his attention to the neighborhood.
“Everyone else was packing their cars up and down the street. It looked like the fire was moving east,” Lane said. “The immediate access to the freeway was pretty backed up, so we had to use another ramp to get on I-5. I hope they’re able to contain it so it doesn’t affect any homes.”
Updated at 5:55 p.m. Monday, June 8, 2026
