Firefighters were getting the upper hand on a brush fire in East County.
The California Department of Forestry reported that more than 100 acres burned near the intersection of Highway 78 and Highway 79 east of Santa Ysabel on the Mesa Grande Reservation.
San Diego County Sheriff's deputies evacuated residents in the Witch Creek and Mesa Grande areas. Evacuation centers were being set up in Santa Ysabel and Ramona.
The fire burned westward, fueled by gusty winds and low humidity levels. Some gusts have been clocked at 60 mph.
Crews were battling the fire with 25 engines, four bulldozers, four water tenders, six airtankers, four helicopters. Helicopter video showed that the fire was burning in grassy ranch land and hills covered with oak trees and chapparal. By 9:30, air drops and fire crews appeared to have stopped the fire from spreading. Water-dropping helicopters were dousing hot spots. The helicopters were refueling in a small reservoir near the fire.
No homes were damaged.
Fire officials said downed power lines sparked the fire.
The fire danger throughout San Diego County is extremely high because of high winds from the east and low humidity, NBC 7/39 reported. The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning for the county through Sunday afternoon.
NBC 7/39 has crews on the way to the fire lines. Refresh this page for the latest information on this developing story.
News stories provided by third parties are not edited by "Site Publication" staff. For suggestions and comments, please click the Contact link at the bottom of this page.
