840 Firefighters on Scene : Blaze Gains Ground at Cuyamaca Rancho Park

Fanned by 10- to 20-m.p.h. winds, a forest fire here continued its out-of-control march to the east toward California 79 Thursday, a California Department of Forestry spokeswoman said.

By evening, the fire had claimed 665 acres and had been 35% contained by 840 firefighters. The blaze is expected to be fully contained by Sunday evening, CDF spokeswoman Audrey Hagen said.

No campers or structures are endangered, officials said, but on Thursday afternoon the blaze came close to scorching the Green Valley Falls campground, where forestry officials had set up a fire command center and campsite. Regular campers had been evacuated from the campground Wednesday night to make room for firefighters.

The Peak fire, as it is called, is fueled by tall timber and brush in areas that haven’t burned for 14 years, Hagen said. Steep terrain has hampered efforts to control the blaze.

Since Wednesday night, the section of California 79 between Descanso and Cuyamaca Lake has been closed to traffic except for emergency vehicles and residents. The road is the only access to the fire area.

A spokesman for the California Parks and Recreation Department said campers with reservations for the three northern campgrounds at Cuyamaca are also being allowed in.

“The fire seems to be going east, not north and south,” department spokesman Dominic Gotelli said. He said it was not known how many campers were evacuated from Green Valley Falls but noted that August is the busiest month of the year for state parks.

Firefighters from the CDF, the U.S. Forest Service, the Cuyamaca and Julian fire departments, state park rangers, and other area volunteer fire companies struggled to get the upper hand on the blaze.

They were aided by six air tankers and five helicopters that dropped water and fire retardant until dusk. There were also 28 fire engines, a bulldozer and 39 hand crews working the fire lines.

Four firefighters have been injured battling the blaze. One sustained a broken ankle and another injured a knee. Two others were stung by hornets and later hospitalized for allergic reactions and shock, Hagen said.

Hagen said the fire is constantly jumping and starting spot fires as it advances. The main area burning is the southwest corner of the state park.

The fire started about 1 p.m. Wednesday and burned throughout the night. By Thursday morning, officials reported that the blaze was 25% contained. But winds and the afternoon high temperatures added to the heat of the fire.

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.