Smoke fills the air over traffic lanes as an emergency vehicle stands alone on the roadway.
Smoke from the Henderson Fire, which forced more closures on Interstate 5 in North County Friday. (Photo courtesy of California Highway Patrol Oceanside Area)

Crews have yet to establish any containment of the Henderson Fire, burning in the western reaches of Camp Pendleton, officials said Friday.

Firefighters strove for a second day to corral the brush fire that by midday Friday had blackened 2,080 acres on the grounds of the Marine Corps base. Officials said the growing blaze has prompted more full closures along Interstate 5, where “active flames” can be seen on both sides of the freeway.

“The fire remains active and continues to spread, with fire crossing containment lines on the northwest side,” according to Cal Fire, the state firefighting agency. “Air and ground resources remain engaged in suppression efforts, with additional resources en route.”

The latest I-5 closures, according to Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol, include Harbor Drive and Vandergrift Boulevard in Oceanside.

“Santa Ana winds are pushing the fire westward,” the CHP’s Oceanside station posted on social media. “Heavy smoke and reduced visibility are possible.”

I-5 remains fully closed in both directions between Vandergrift and Basilone, the CHP advised at around 1:30 p.m. that “smoke is affecting visibility along both sides of the freeway.”

Caltrans advised that travelers heading north should use state Route 78 to Interstate 15.

New fire

The Camp Pendleton Fire Department, not Cal Fire, has jurisdiction over the Henderson Fire. The flames on base, according to a Cal Fire map, are burning roughly along Las Pulgas Canyon Road, from C Street on the east southwest to Stuart Mesa Road approaching El Camino Real.

In addition, another vegetation fire broke out Friday along southbound I-5, south of the checkpoint near San Onofre. Crews assigned to the Henderson Fire are working to contain that blaze, which has consumed 20 acres, with more help on the way.

The Henderson Fire erupted around 2:35 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of Basilone and Las Pulgas roads and swept close to populated areas of the military base, according to Cal Fire, prompting on-base evacuations and a brief rush-hour closure of a stretch of I-5.

Authorities shut down the freeway between Basilone and Harbor Drive in Oceanside. Video posted on a Cal Fire incident page showed heavy flames burning to within feet of the edge of the traffic lanes beneath utility poles.

Shortly before 6 p.m., the CHP said that it was reopening I-5, though officials cautioned that the lane might have to be closed again due to the blaze.

The wildfire also forced a closure of Las Pulgas on the grounds of Camp Pendleton between Brown Street and Stuart Mesa. Additionally, the Las Pulgas Gate to the base was shut down to all traffic except emergency vehicles.

Paige Field House on 13th Street at Camp Pendleton is operating as a shelter for those displaced on base. There have been no evacuations in surrounding communities.

The cause of the Henderson Fire, which had been mapped at 1,404 acres as of Thursday evening, was under investigation, Cal Fire reported.

Adding to the I-5 woes, another fire burning just outside San Diego County, in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, already has destroyed homes, based on footage from multiple media outlets showing structures ablaze.

Within three hours, the fire had spread over 465 acres, according to Cal Fire, prompting evacuations in multiple neighborhoods, with two centers open to help residents. Officials said that four homes in San Juan Capistrano, had been “impacted” by the blaze, dubbed the Norte Fire.

Updated 2:50 p.m. Oct. 16, 2026