A fire in the hills near the U.S.-Mexico border that burned for nearly a week and charred more than 6,600 acres was declared 100% contained Thursday, fire officials said.
All remaining evacuation orders and warnings for the Border 2 fire area were lifted and all roads were reopened Thursday, the county Sheriff’s Office said.
The blaze that roared to life, forcing hundreds of residents in South County and East County communities to evacuate and canceling school in several districts, didn’t cause damage to any homes, fire officials said.
Weather played a starring role in the fire’s weeklong run. The fire ignited last Thursday afternoon during a red-flag warning. Gusty Santa Ana winds spread it quickly in steep, rocky terrain amid low humidity and pushed it toward populated areas late on the first night.
By early Friday, the fire had spread in multiple directions with crews reporting “extreme fire behavior” amid windy conditions, a Cal Fire spokesman said at the time.
Helicopter crews worked night and day dropping water on flames for most of the week, and for several days, air tankers were sent to make retardant drops on fire in the remote, steep terrain.
By Monday night, Cal Fire air tankers had dropped 127,500 gallons of retardant while helicopters dumped more than 161,000 gallons of water.
“We were dealing with that remote area with the winds shifting on us, and when that wind shift happened it started blowing the fire downhill toward Otay Lake Road. That was one of the main contributors to that rapid fire growth,” Cornette said of the fire’s first night.
A storm brought relief late on the third day, rain that tamped down flames and helped firefighters make good progress on establishing containment lines.
The rain — the first the region has seen for months — helped firefighters get a handle on the fire. “It did pretty much extinguish the fire, but the firefighters had to go out and verify that line and make sure the line was holding and there weren’t any more hot spots,” Cornette said.
Areas evacuated included the Otay Open Space Preserve, the Olympic Training Center and the Pio Pico Campground, some neighborhoods in Chula Vista and residents near Honey Springs Ranch and Dulzura.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with three fire investigators working to determine what or who sparked it. The fire was discovered shortly before 2 p.m. on Jan. 23 along the Otay Mountain Truck Trail near Doghouse Junction.
At its peak, there were more than 2,600 firefighters working the Border 2 fire, including crews from around California and beyond.
Cornette said Thursday the fire is now in “patrol status” meaning a few engines will be sent out for the next couple of days to ensure it doesn’t flare up.
