A 5-acre brush fire sent clouds of smoke above Rancho Bernardo on Monday afternoon, prompting nearby homes and condo complexes to be evacuated and some freeway lanes to be closed.
Two strike teams and crews on two firefighting helicopters attacked the flames, which were first reported around 2:30 p.m. near Escala Drive where it runs along Interstate 15.
Initial reports indicated the fire was moving slowly in heavy brush. By 3:30 p.m., fire officials said it had burned about 5 acres.
The two right lanes on the northbound side of I-15 were closed near West Bernardo Drive, and about two dozen homes — including 16 condos on Caminito Cantilena — were evacuated as a precaution, officials said.
“Evacuations are going on because of the fire,” San Diego police Officer Sarah Foster said around 3:30 p.m. “It is so close to the freeway, it is backing up traffic on the 15… We are helping to evacuate any places near the fire.”
Traffic on north I-15 was expected to be slow heading into the afternoon commute because of the lane closures, a California Highway Patrol dispatcher said.
Just before 3:45 p.m., officials released one of the firefighting helicopters so it could be available for other calls, leaving one chopper dropping water on the fire. By 4:10 p.m., fire officials reported that “no active flames” could be seen by the helicopter crew.
Poway firefighters also assisted with the blaze.
There were Santa Ana winds blowing in the region on Monday.
The National Weather Service said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that winds were expected to remain gusty through Tuesday, with winds peaking Monday night in the region’s mountains and foothills.
“It is windy and it is dry and it is warm out there,” Foster said.
No structural damage or injuries were reported.
