Fog Helps Curb 160-Acre Fire Near Escondido

More than 380 firefighters from the California Department of Forestry and local fire departments battled a brush fire Saturday that torched at least 160 acres in Harmony Grove, just west of Escondido, authorities said.

The blaze, which did not threaten any homes, began about 1:30 p.m. and was still burning late Saturday night, according to Audrey Hagan, a CDF spokeswoman. Authorities were expecting the fire to be contained by midnight.

The blaze, which raged through Elfin Forest, was started by children playing with matches, fire investigators said.

Forestry Department firefighters were assisted by neighboring departments, including units from San Diego, Escondido, Vista, Fallbrook, Carlsbad and Camp Pendleton. No one was reported injured.

Though the fire had not yet been extinguished, high humidity was reportedly slowing the fire’s progress.

“There’s a fog bank rolling in and that’s helping,” Hagan said. “Now if we were in the middle of the summer and there was a Santa Ana wind blowing, we would be in big trouble.”