Crews are working to extinguish a wildland brush fire off State Route 78, in the rural Banner area, east of Pine Hills, according to the California Highway Patrol.
There were no immediate reports of structural threats – until the blaze began to move toward Julian.
The Banner fire blackened about 40 acres in an hour and is moving uphill to the east toward Julian and back country homes, creating the potential threats, according to Cal Fire Capt. Kendal Bortisser.
Due to the fire, the California Highway Patrol shut down SR-78 between Wynola and San Felipe Road in the Scissors Crossing area.
Ground and airborne crews are fighting the flames.
Officials warned of the seriousness of the upcoming fire season, and within days, at least in the region, the prediction played out.
San Diego’s experience illustrated that severity in May, when multiple fires broke out over a weeklong period, stunning fire officials, who said it was the earliest they had seen such dire, fire conditions.
The weather that week had been hot and very dry.
The fires, which raged most seriously in San Marcos, Carlsbad and on Camp Pendleton, caused millions in damages. The first, in San Diego, was found to have been started accidentially by a construction crew.
Those costs, along with the price of fighting the wildfires, added up to more than $55 million, authorities said.
– City News Service contributed to this report.
