Firefighters stop 200-acre blaze in Campo

A brush fire charred roughly 200 acres in Campo Monday, threatening 20 homes and prompting evacuations while firefighters worked to get a handle on the blaze, Cal Fire officials said.

Crews on the ground and personnel aboard four air tankers and three water-dropping helicopters stopped the flames shortly before 5:30 p.m., Cal Fire officials said. Evacuation orders were lifted shortly after.

There were no reports of injuries or damage to structures, Cal Fire Capt. Issac Sanchez said.

The blaze sparked about 2:20 p.m. northwest of Campo and La Posta roads. Fanned by winds, the flames spread across the rocky terrain and thick brush amid 98-degree heat, Sanchez said. Within an hour, the fire encroached upon 20 homes and a Navy training facility in the sparcely-populated area.

As about 250 firefighters attacked the flames, mandatory evacuations were issued for the homes along La Posta Road between Campo Road and La Posta Truck Trail, as well as the Mountain Warfare Training Center, located west of La Posta Road.

An evacuation center was set up at Mountain Empire High School on Buckman Springs Road in Pine Valley.

La Posta Road was closed between state Route 94 and Old Highway 80. Only residents were allowed past the road closure once the evacuation orders were lifted. The road was re-opened about 7:30 p.m.

Sanchez said firefighters would work overnight to continue to construct containment lines.

The blaze was called the Eclipse fire, but investigators did not believe it was started by people who were watching the astronomical event.

Video shared on Twitter by TV stations showed plumes of smoke in the sky early on while flames were still spreading.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

2:50 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 5:45 p.m.