Camp Pendleton Blaze Fully Out, Freeway Open

The Camp Pendleton fire that forced the closing of Interstate 5 between Oceanside and San Clemente on Wednesday was contained at daybreak Thursday and was expected to be fully out by the end of the day, officials said.

Traffic along I-5 was moving normally, despite some lingering smoke from the last few hot spots, the California Highway Patrol reported. Amtrak service also returned to normal, a spokesman said.

The fire burned 4,800 acres of grass and brush, said Cpl. Ray Sears, a Camp Pendleton spokesman. Earlier estimates that the blaze blackened 7,000 acres were overstated, he said.

Cause of the fire, which started near the northwestern corner of the sprawling Marine Corps base, remained under investigation. The area is used for maneuvers and training but not as an artillery target, he said.

The fire erupted Tuesday evening, and the CHP closed I-5 about 2 a.m. Wednesday. It remained closed until about 5 p.m. Wednesday, frustrating tens of thousands of motorists and forcing some Amtrak trains between San Diego and Los Angeles into long delays. It was the longest the freeway had ever been closed, the CHP said.

The fire approached the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant and prompted a low-level alert, but operations there were not affected. Structures at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint were singed but otherwise undamaged.

The fire also swept through the popular San Onofre State Beach, burning shrubbery but not destroying any buildings, said park aide Mindy Walker. She said the park will be closed for about a week for cleanup, and those with camping reservations are being sent instead to the San Clemente State Beach Park.