Brush Fire Destroys 2 Homes Near Lake Wohlford

A brush fire near Lake Wohlford destroyed two homes Thursday, while another east of El Cajon threatened several structures but was contained before it could harm any property.

It took 135 firefighters, 17 engines and two helicopters from the California Department of Forestry nearly six hours to contain the lakeside fire just north of Escondido.

The blaze broke out about 2:15 p.m. and consumed more than 20 acres, destroying a house, a mobile home, an outbuilding and a farm tractor, according to CDF spokesmen. Steep access and heavy brush hampered the firefighters’ efforts, but the fire was declared contained at 8 p.m.

The cause of the fire was under investigation Thursday evening, and no estimate of the value of the destroyed property was available.

In the East County, a fire attributed to arson blackened 45 acres Thursday afternoon near Dehesa Road and Willow Glen Drive just north of the Singing Hills Country Club.

More than 130 firefighters from the forestry department and the U.S. Forestry Service, assisted by air tankers and helicopters, fought the blaze for 2 1/2 hours before containing it at 4 p.m., department spokeswoman Audrey Hagen said. Several structures were threatened for a time, but none was destroyed.

A Spring Valley man was arrested a short time later near the Cottonwood Country Club, just south of the Singing Hills club. Forestry Department Capt. Chris Hess said the suspect, Robert Hackett, was detained in the act of setting the fire was was arrested on suspicion of felony arson.