Brush Fire Rages Near Lake Hodges, Closes Road

Firefighters evacuated homes and closed a lengthy section of Del Dios Highway on Wednesday as a brush fire raged out of control on rugged land west of Lake Hodges.

The blaze, which had consumed about 250 acres of thick brush by Wednesday night, threatened about 50 homes on Mt. Israel for several hours, forcing their evacuation about 5 p.m., said Audrey Hagen, fire information officer for the California Department of Forestry. Residents were allowed to return to their homes about 8 p.m., she said.

But no one was hurt and no structures burned in the blaze on unincorporated land.

Firefighters did not expect to contain the blaze until 8 a.m. today and estimated that they would not extinguish it until 6 p.m. today, more than 24 hours after the fire began at Del Dios Highway and Mt. Israel Road shortly before 3 p.m., Hagen said.

About 275 firefighters battling the fire were hampered by steep terrain, heavy smoke and erratic winds, Hagen said. Six air tankers dropped fire retardant and a U.S. Department of Forestry helicopter dropped water on the fire.

“The winds were very strong and very erratic,” Hagen said. “The problem was the steep terrain and the heavy brush. The terrain was very steep, very hard to get to. The brush was very thick, very heavy fuel.”

College Biological Supply Co., a biomedical supply firm in the 8800 block of Mt. Israel Road, was evacuated at 4:30 p.m., Hagen said.

The California Highway Patrol closed Del Dios Highway, from Paseo Delicias in Rancho Santa Fe to Via Rancho Parkway north of Lake Hodges, at 3 p.m. because of blowing smoke and possible danger to onlookers, a spokesman said. The east-west artery was expected to be opened at midnight. It remained closed because of debris on the roadway.

The fire started on unincorporated county land and burned northwest, threatening the homes on Mt. Israel. It also spread south, jumping Toyon Canyon Road. But the fire’s pace slowed as winds died down after nightfall, Hagen said.