Brush fire that threatened Rancho San Diego homes halted; 15 acres charred

A fast-moving brush fire charred around 15 acres Wednesday afternoon and threatened homes in Rancho San Diego before firefighters were able to gain the upper hand, a Cal Fire spokesman said.

The fire was reported around 12:45 p.m. south of state Route 94 and west of Campo Road. Pushed by strong east winds, the fire quickly moved through grassy areas and up a hillside toward homes.

“The wind definitely helped to drive the spread,” said Cal Fire San Diego spokesman Thomas Shoots.

Shortly after 1 p.m., Cal Fire San Diego tweeted that the fire had charred 5 acres and was threatening homes along Avenida Roberta near Calle Los Arboles. Residents were urged to evacuate if they felt threatened. Some residents went to a nearby theater to wait.

Two airplanes and two helicopters were quickly dispatched to drop fire retardant on the blaze. Officials said the blaze had a “dangerous rate of spread” and called for more ground and air resources. Within a short period of time, they had four tankers on the fire and 75 firefighters, including hand crews and bull dozers, Shoots said.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m., the forward spread of the fire was halted, he said.

Firefighters planned to remain in the area and work to mop up the blaze, knocking down hot spots and ensuring it didn’t move closer to homes in the area.