30,000 evacuations in San Diego

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More than 30,000 ‘reverse 911’ calls have gone out ordering residents in San Diego County to evacuate, according to San Diego County authorities.

‘The situation has gotten dramatically worse over night,’ said Bill Metcalf, chief of the North County Fire District (Fallbrook), the overall fire coordinator. ‘’It’s been a long night and a dangerous night.’

‘If you see a fire, please evacuate immediately, don’t wait to be told to leave,’ added San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.

Fire has jumped I-15 at Lake Hodges and is in northern part of Rancho Bernardo (a neighborhood in San Diego) and is pushing also westward towarde Rancho Santa Fe, one of the nation’s priciest communities.

A new fire in San Marcos, 250 acres and growing. No new estimates of size for Harris and Witch Creek fires. ‘In most areas we haven’t been able to do any fire suppression,’ Metcalf said. ‘You don’t just get in front of these fires and squirt a little water and they go away.’

Sanders asked residents not to use cell phones so towers don’t get clogged and firefighters can’t use.

-- Tony Perry in San Diego