Local News in Brief : San Pasqual

More than 200 firefighters were called to the San Diego Wild Animal Park on Tuesday to battle a spreading brush fire that started when a “control burn,” designed to remove 400 acres of thick chaparral, got out of control and “jumped” across 160 acres not intended for burning.

Officials of the California Department of Forestry said the burn began around 9 a.m. but that high winds and dry conditions caused the fire to spread out of control around 1:30 in the afternoon.

By nightfall, firefighting crews included 18 engines, 2 air tankers, 2 helicopters, 2 bulldozers and 8 hand crews. Forestry officials said they expected to contain the blaze around 1 a.m. today.

The burn was part of a three-year plan carried out jointly by the Wild Animal Park and the California Department of Forestry. More than 500 acres were burned last year, with 400 more scheduled for Tuesday. Park officials said no threat was posed to animals or to the park itself.

The park remained open until its usual 4 p.m. closing, although the monorail that circles the property was closed because of smoke.

“The burn was designed to reduce heavy vegetation, mainly heavy chaparral, in the back hills,” said Martha Baker, spokeswoman for the park.

“Around 1:30, the wind became very erratic, and the fire just jumped outside the area proposed for today’s burn,” said Capt. Jim Van Meter of the California Department of Forestry. “The firefighting is contained, however, within the 1,200 total acres proposed for burning over a three-year period. We anticipate no problem to animals or structures, just a lot of work for a lot of firefighters long into the night.”