Cal Fire crews are battling a brush fire that erupted on Otay Mountain Thursday afternoon, with evacuation orders and warnings in place for surrounding areas.
The “Border 2 Fire” as of 11:45 a.m. Friday was at 5,389 acres, “with long range spotting and extreme fire behavior.” Fire officials said the blaze was at 10% containment. It was first reported after 2:15 p.m. in the area of Otay Mountain Truck Trail in the Otay Wilderness Area. The fire jumped from 350 to over 500 acres within a half hour at one point.
UPDATE on evacuation orders as of 1pm: Evacuation orders and warnings for the #Border2Fire now extend to immediately south of the Jamul Casino, including areas east and west of State Route 94, encompassing Dulzura, state and county preserves, southern portions of Jamul, and significant portions of Chula Vista.
From CalFire:
Crews fought the flames on the ground and aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters. A total of 692 firefighting personnel were assigned to the blaze Friday morning, including 24 crews, 23 engines, 16 water tenders, 10 helicopters and eight dozers, according to Cal Fire.
Cal Fire issued an evacuation order for residents who live in the red shaded areas shown in the maps below. This means that there is an immediate threat and “you need to leave.” An evacuation warning has also been issued for the areas in yellow. Officials said, “Be prepared to evacuate should conditions change. If you feel you are in danger, go!”
Update 2:30pm Friday
The Border 2 fire continued to burn and send smoke into the air around southern San Diego County Friday, impacting commuters, park-goers and libraries alike.
The fire closed miles of road in and around evacuation zones, causing a hard closure at Alta Road near Otay Mesa Road as of 2 p.m., Cal Fire officials said. Further north, Otay Lakes and Wueste roads to state Route 94 were also closed.
Both east and westbound lanes of state Route 94 at Otay Lakes Road — which had previously been closed by CalTrans officials in the early morning Friday — were reopened about six hours later.
Recreation areas were also impacted when city of San Diego officials announced both the Lower and Upper Otay Reservoirs would be closed through at least Sunday.
Chula Vista staff announced Friday afternoon that parks and recreation areas east of Interstate 805, Parkway Pool, Loma Verde Pool and Otay Ranch Library would also be closed Friday due to poor air quality in the area.
A temporary evacuation point has been set up at Regal Edwards Cinemas Rancho San Diego, located at 2951 Jamacha Rd. in El Cajon. Another evacuation point is operating at Southwestern College, located at 900 Otay Lakes Rd. in Chula Vista.
An overnight evacuation point has been opened at Cuyamaca College Gym at 900 Rancho San Diego Pkwy in El Cajon. The American Red Cross is supporting both evacuation points, with volunteers providing snacks, hydration and other assistance.
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 several detention centers.
In an update at 12:41 p.m. Friday, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said jail visits at George Bailey, Rock Mountain and East Mesa — all of which are in Otay Mesa — have been suspended. The facilities are all currently under shelter in place.
The fire caused a massive plume of smoke to blow from the mountain. Due to the Santa Ana winds, the smoke appeared to be moving west, over Otay Mesa and Tijuana.
“The way it spread in the last couple hours,” Christian Trip, a local resident, said as he watched the flames burn down the mountain. “Even two, three hours ago, it was tiny and now look at this. It’s surreal.”
A smoke advisory has been issued by the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District for communities in the southwest of the county. The smoke is expected to continue blowing west through Friday morning, the district adds, with winds weakening overnight.
“In areas where you smell smoke it is advised that you limit physical/outdoor activity,” the district said. “If possible, stay indoors to limit your exposure to fine particulate matter and ozone, especially those residents with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, and children.”
Officials with the City of Chula Visa closed all parks and recreation centers early Thursday over the air conditions.
Meanwhile, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced Thursday the closure of Alta Road, located just south of Otay Mesa Road. The public is asked to avoid that area until further notice.
Additionally, Cal Trans announced Friday that westbound and eastbound State Route 94 at Otay Lakes Road is closed due to the fire.
Evacuations issued for Border 2 Fire; blaze 10% contained
More than 200 firefighters responded to the blaze, naming the strong winds, low humidity levels and dry vegetation as fuel for the flames.
“The brush and the vegetation throughout the county spent all summer long drying out, and we have not had any measurable rain this rainy season,” Cal Fire Cpt. Robert Johnson said.
While the area is seeing a below average water year so far, rain is expected Sunday.
That usually can cause mudslides or flooding in burn-scarred areas, but Johnson says because of the location of the Border 2 Fire, he doesn’t expect that to threaten any structures once they put out this wildfire.
Saturday Jan 25: Crews worked overnight to contain a wildfire that has burned thousands of acres and forced expanded evacuation orders and warnings north of the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego County.
The blaze, called the Border 2 Fire, sparked around 2:30 p.m. Thursday in a remote area near Otay Mountain Truck Trail, west of Doghouse Junction in the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area, according to Cal Fire San Diego. As of Saturday morning, the fire had scorched 6,500 acres and remained 10% contained.
“Fire activity continued overnight, burning in steep terrain with very low humidity and shifting winds,” Cal Fire said in a Saturday morning update. “The fire continues to threaten homes, communities, and infrastructure, but air and ground resources are working day and night to ensure the safety of residents and property. Rain is expected over the fire area late tonight through Monday, lessening fire activity and helping firefighters increase containment.” Patch San Diego https://patch.com/california/san-diego/border-2-fire-scorches-over-6k-acres-evacuation-orders-spread