San Diego Wildfire Nearly Contained

Oct. 31, 2006
About 375 firefighters remained on the lines, dousing hot spots, as nightfall approached.
An East County wildfire that has charred 152 acres since it broke out over the weekend was expected to be fully contained Tuesday, authorities said. About 375 firefighters worked through the night to battle flames and douse hot spots, and they expect to completely surround the blaze by 8 a.m., according to the California Department of Forestry. The fire is expected to be out by Friday morning. The fire, triggered by spontaneous combustion in a compost heap, forced about 100 people out of neighborhood homes Sunday in the Warner Springs area and damaged one residence, authorities said. The evacuees have since returned to their homes. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries while battling the flames, which tore through dry foliage 5 feet tall in spots, according to the California Department of Forestry. The so-called Camino Fire broke out about noon Sunday near Camino San Ignacio and Camino Moro, when a compost heap in the yard of a residential property generated "quite a bit of heat" and burst into flames, said Mike Vot of the CDF. Crews kept the blaze from destroying any structures, though about 20 homes were threatened for a time as the flames spread through the rural area.

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