Firefighters Gain Upper Hand Against Camp Pendleton Blaze

Firefighters made aerial and land assaults on a brush fire that scorched 4,800 acres in and around this Marine Corps base, extinguishing most of the blaze by nightfall Thursday.

The fire, which broke out Tuesday night, caused commuter chaos Wednesday by forcing a 12-hour closure of Interstate 5 and the Amtrak line. Operations were normal by Thursday. Officials reported no injuries or major damage.

Marine and U.S. Forest Service officials said the cause of the fire had not been determined.

Cpl. Connie Panichi, a Camp Pendleton spokeswoman, said a report that the blaze was sparked during routine training maneuvers Tuesday night had not been confirmed. “When we conclude our investigation, we will be in a better position to say exactly what happened,” she said.

The strong Santa Ana winds that had whipped the fire out of control died down Thursday, greatly aiding the efforts of an estimated 500 firefighters. Water and chemicals were dropped from planes and helicopters to douse the flames.

The fire was contained by 6 a.m. and was expected to be extinguished by early today.

Although an emergency alert was called for several hours Wednesday at the San Onofre nuclear power plant, “The plant was never really threatened, although fire jumped the interstate on the southern side of the plant and consumed some brush there,” said David Barron, spokesman for Southern California Edison.

At the nearby U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint, spokesman Ted Swafford said telephone and power service were affected but quickly restored.

Panichi said training activities at Camp Pendleton resumed Thursday after a temporary suspension caused by the fire.