Wind Spreads 2 Fires Within Camp Pendleton

Fueled by dry, strong Santa Ana winds, two fires had consumed more than 500 acres of brushland within Camp Pendleton by Tuesday night as fire crews from Orange and San Diego counties sought to head off the blazes before they reached populated areas and the San Onofre nuclear power plant.

As of about 11:30 p.m., the more severe of the two blazes was nearing the plant, and Marine Corps officials--in what they described as a precautionary measure--were evacuating an undetermined number of personnel from a nearby trailer park.

The fire, billowing over Interstate 5 toward the ocean, was said to be threatening an industrial area of the power plant on the east side of the freeway. The plant generator is on the west side of the freeway.

Orange County fire crews lined the west side of the freeway in an effort to protect San Onofre State Beach if the fire jumped the asphalt barrier. Ten campers at the beach were evacuated as a precaution.

At the power plant, the fire was threatening a large warehouse and three other buildings used for training and administrative purposes, said Dave Barron, a spokesman for Southern California Edison.

He said the buildings were unoccupied. Workers in the main power plant facility were not in danger, he added.

“Right now we don’t foresee any danger to the main facility, which is located on the other side of I-5 away from the fire.”.

Flames, however, were approaching several 220,000-volt transmission lines on the east side of the freeway that run north from the plant toward Orange County, Barron said.

A second fire--farther south, at the center of the military base--which had consumed about 240 acres of Marine reservation land by about 10 p.m. was reported to be 50% contained as crews from Orange and San Diego counties, San Clemente and San Diego, as well as other cities, and Camp Pendleton firefighters responded to the outbreak.

Fire officials said it was caused by a downed power line. The cause of the northern fire was unknown.

Winds, reported at up to 40 m.p.h. through the afternoon and evening, spread the two fires quickly within the military base, thwarting firefighters.

“The wind is a big factor for us right now,” public information officer Cpl. Lynda MacTavish said Tuesday night.

George Mangel of the U.S. Forest Service outpost in San Diego County said the fire at the center of the military installation was “threatening buildings and other military things. We sent a total of 10 engines.” The other fire, the more severe of the two blazes, started around 8 p.m. and appeared to be centered about a quarter of a mile east of Interstate 5, near the San Onofre nuclear power plant, slowing traffic as drivers watched the flames and smoke.

The fire pressed against the northern edge of the military base, just south of San Clemente. But as of about 10 p.m., MacTavish said no structures had been damaged. No injuries were reported either.

Camp Pendleton officials requested assistance from fire crews in Orange and San Diego counties, but military officials refused to allow the media onto the base, and details of the firefighting efforts were sketchy.

FIRE ALERT: Hot, dry gusts may spread new fires, officials fear. B2