UPDATE: As of 5 p.m., the Otay fire called “Border 2” is over 200 acres and 0% contained, with a dangerous rate of spread and the potential to burn through 500 acres, according to Cal Fire San Diego.
Earlier, it was reported a pair of fires began burning Thursday afternoon around San Diego County.
One of the fires, which began just after 2 p.m., is burning near Gilman Drive and Via Alicante in La Jolla, not far from where it intersects with Interstate 5, which is also close to UC San Diego and the Torrey Pines golf course, where the PGA is hosting the Farmers Insurance Open this week.
Evacuations had been ordered for the immediate area but as of 4:00 they have been lifted.
Otay Mountain Fire
A second vegetation fire also began burning Thursday afternoon on Otay Mountain near the U.S.-Mexico border. At a little before 2:30 p.m., Cal Fire San Diego tweeted out that the border fire had already burned 20 acres and had a “dangerous rate of spread.” An hour later, it was reported to have spread to 60 acres.
CBS8 just reported: “As of 3:50 p.m. the fire was at 148 acres and 0% contained.”
Flames from the fire could be seen racing up a hillside on Otay Mountain, near the Otay Mountain Truck Trail.
Smoke from the blaze was visible for miles. It’s not yet known what, if any, resources, have been assigned to the fire, though a fixed-wing aircraft was seen making a water drop on what is obviously a fast-growing fire.
Fox5 confirms:
The fire, which has been named the “Border 2 Fire,” was reported after 2:15 p.m. in the area of Otay Mountain Truck Trail in the Otay Wilderness Area. According to Cal Fire, it is currently 148 acres as of 3:45 p.m., but has a dangerous rate of spread with the potential to burn through 500 acres. A massive plume of smoke can be seen blowing from the mountain. As of 3:45 p.m., it is 0% contained.
ALERT California cameras appeared to show the fire burning up hill. It is unclear whether any structures are being threatened. More than 91 personnel have been dispatched from Cal Fire to the scene, including four helicopters which are making water drops overhead.
In a post on X, Chula Vista fire officials are monitoring the fire. While smoke is visible, they say it does not pose an immediate threat residents at this time, although residents are advised to take precaution going outside due to the smoke impacting air conditions.
UC San Diego Area
Evacuations were ordered for neighborhoods between North Torrey Pines Road and La Jolla Parkway off La Jolla Scenic Drive North. Areas to the west were warned to be ready to evacuate.
The fire broke out around 2 p.m. near Gilman Drive and Via Alicante and within 30 minutes had charred an acre, said Jose Ysea, a spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
Camera footage from Alert San Diego — a camera system UC San Diego set up in remote areas to track wildfires — showed a plume of smoke rising among dense trees and near structures in La Jolla.
UC San Diego told the campus community in an email that forward spread had been stopped. “There is no immediate threat to campus,” its alert said.
The wind in the area is blowing 10 to 15 miles per hour and the humidity is about 6 percent.
High winds suspended play during the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open, the annual PGA golf tournament at Torrey Pines, shortly after 2 p.m. Thursday.
Shortly before 3 p.m., officials issued an evacuation order for the pink areas in the map below. The perimeter of the evacuation order is bordered to the north by La Jolla Parkway (state Route 52), to the south of Torrey Pines Road, to the east of La Jolla Parkway and Torrey Pines Road and to the west of Gilman Drive.
An Evacuation Order has been issued for Zone SDC-1648, per Genasys. For the zone’s parameters, see the Watch Duty Map or Genasys Protect. Officials said there was an “immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.”
Also, officials are warning others nearby (the yellow shaded portion of the map) that they are under an evacuation warning and should be prepared to leave if events warrant. Those under the evac warning are all to the west of the area comprising the evacuation order.
A temporary evacuation point has been 9420 Athena Circle. Shortly after 3 p.m., it appeared that firefighters were gaining the upper hand on the blaze, with most flames extinguished and white smoke mostly visible.
Small Fire in Mission Valley
There also is a small fire just north of I-8 in Mission Valley, just east of Mission Gorge Road.
The fire t is currently 600 acres as of 8:13 p.m., but has a “dangerous rate” of spread. It remains 0% contained Thursday night.
The fire jumped from 350 to over 500 acres within a half hour at one point.
No structures are believed to be threatened at this time, although there are a few transmitters used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on top of the mountain and several structures at its base — including two detention centers.
Friday morning: Authorities issued evacuation orders and warnings to nearby areas early Friday morning as a wildfire in the Otay Wilderness Area exploded to 4,250 acres in rough terrain overnight.
The evacuation area for the Border 2 fire is a large swath stretching north to Otay Lakes Road, east to state Route 94 and Dulzura, and west to Lower Otay Lake. It includes the Otay Open Space Preserve.
State Route 94 was closed at Otay Lakes Road early Friday morning. Road closures include Alta Road near Otay Mesa Road and Otay Lakes Road, Wueste Road to Pio Pico Campground, which is under an evacuation order.
The evacuation warning area includes neighborhoods west of the lake and the Olympic Training Center.
Safety and air quality concerns from the fire led Chula Vista Elementary School District to close the following schools on Friday: Salt Creek, Camarena, Wolf Canyon, Olympic View, Liberty, Eastlake, Marshall, and Arroyo Vista. All other schools will remain open.
Sheriff’s officials said a temporary evacuation point is at Regal Edwards Cinemas Rancho San Diego, located at 2951 Jamacha Road in El Cajon. Chula Vista police said residents south and west of the lake can go to Southwestern College as an evacuation site, at 900 Otay Lakes Road in Chula Vista.
Crews are seeing “some extreme fire behavior currently,” Cal Fire Capt. Robert Johnson said shortly after 4 a.m.
“The main fire spread they are concerned about is generally spreading in a northern direction,” he said, noting that the blaze was also fingering out in different directions.
He said the fire is moving at a “moderate rate of speed,” and is “spotting,” meaning the wind is blowing embers from the fire, and those can ignite. Johnson said the wind is “breezy” and temperatures are cooler than in recent days.