East, South County Fires Char More Than 2,000 Acres

While a fire that burned 1,550 acres near Alpine in the Cleveland National Forest was being contained Sunday night, another fire burned out of control near Live Oak Springs.

State Department of Forestry officials said a fire that was started Saturday afternoon by a trespasser at Loveland Reservoir who set an illegal campfire was 90% contained Sunday night and would be fully contained by 6 p.m. today.

The fire damaged two double-wide mobile homes, three greenhouses and several abandoned vehicles and sheds, said Dolores Fremter, a spokeswoman for the Department of Forestry.

Four of the more than 300 firefighters engaged in the blaze suffered minor injuries such as exhaustion and cuts, Fremter said.

Another fire, about 25 miles east of the Alpine blaze, began at 1:30 p.m. Sunday and had burned more than 500 acres by Sunday evening, when it was still out of control, Fremter said. Residents of McCain Valley Road and campers in the Lark Valley and Cottonwood campgrounds were evacuated in a precautionary move, Fremter said.

More than 100 firefighters, six air tankers, two helicopters and 19 engines were used to fight the fire, which began near Interstate 8 and Live Oak Springs Road, Fremter said.

One firefighter suffered minor burns from his vehicle’s radiator, Fremter said.

She said the cause of that fire had not been determined.

Two other smaller fires threatened several houses but were extinguished quickly. A 15-acre fire near Old Julian Road and California 78 in Ramona that began at 4 p.m. Sunday drew more than 50 firefighters, 10 air tankers and 25 fire engines, Fremter said. The fire, the cause of which is unknown, was contained within an hour, Fremter said.

A 5-acre fire near the Otay Reservoir that was contained Sunday afternoon is also under investigation, Fremter said.