Firefighters made quick work of a fire that charred about two acres near a busy shopping center in Carlsbad Thursday afternoon, prompting dozens of home evacuations, officials said.
The fire ignited near College Boulevard and Marron Road about 3:15 p.m., Carlsbad police officials said. Tamarack Avenue and Carlsbad Village Drive were also impacted.
The area is near a bustling shopping center as well as several residential developments. A Walmart and 40 to 50 homes on nearby streets — including Seabird Street and Milford Place — were evacuated, officials said.
Residents were told they could shelter at the Calaverra Hills Community Center on Glasgow Drive until their streets reopened. Police officials said that could take several hours.
Firefighters from several agencies worked to put out the flames, which burned up a brushy hillside toward homes, and firefighting helicopters could be seen dropping water scooped from nearby Calavera Lake. Most of the fire had been put out by 4:45 p.m., officials said.
A traffic alert was issued for east state Route 78 at College — just north of the fire — with extreme traffic backups reported by the California Highway Patrol. Police officials asked the public to avoid the area.
Staff writers Teri Figueroa and Karen Kucher contributed to this report.
