As Red Flag Warnings went into effect on Wednesday evening due to high Santa Ana winds, fire broke out in the 2800 block of Willow Glen Drive in Rancho San Diego at about 10:30pm. Residents in the area were asked to evacuate during the worst of the "Willow Fire," which has burned over 30 acres and destroyed one home and damaged six others.
At 1:15 am on Thursday, Cal Fire reported that they had stopped the spread of the fire, and by 6:30am announced that the fire was 50% contained. Quick containment of the fire is contributed to fire crews managing to be "very aggressive" in the overnight firefight, positioning themselves for good progress Thursday morning, according to San Miguel Fire Department Battalion Chief Andy Lawler. Crews are now said to be in the mop-up phase.
Despite the quick containment of the "Willow Fire," the threat of wildfires throughout the county is still excessively high, given the vast amounts of dry brush and the record-breaking strong wind conditions throughout San Diego County.
As a precaution, San Diego Gas & Electric (SGD&E) has already shutoff power to almost 72,000 residents as well as the Alpine Union, Dehesa, and Warner Unified School Districts. These schools in the El Cajon Valley are also closed: Hillsdale Middle School, Jamacha Elementary, Ranch San Diego Elementary, and Vista Grande Elementary.
SDG&E posted this message for the Santa Ana wind warnings:
Record-breaking winds are impacting the San Diego region with 18 of our weather stations reporting gusts of more than 60 mph overnight, & a peak of 94 mph, making it necessary to shut off power for public safety to reduce wildfire risk. For updates, visit http://ow.ly/2Gqu50CBCYI
The National Weather Service Red Flag Warning remains in effect until Saturday at 10pm. The service reminds residents that "During a Red Flag Warning, any fires that spark will likely spread rapidly, the NWS said. Damaging winds could occur, capable of downing trees and power lines."
San Diego emergency officials encourage residents to take precautions to prevent wildfires be removing dead or dry plants and debris next and near your home. More tips and advice can be found here.
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