McCain Fire in southeastern San Diego County 95% contained

BOULEVARD (CNS) — The McCain Fire in the rural southeastern reaches of San Diego County was 95% contained Friday after burning 1,595 acres, officials said.

The fire's size was upgraded from 1,362 acres to 1,595 acres early Thursday due to better mapping products, though the fire activity remained low, according to Cal Fire San Diego.

"With increased containment, the fire has transitioned to patrol status. Resources will remain in the area, monitoring for additional hot spots and addressing any hazards,'' the agency said. ``While smoke may be visible from the freeway, these smokes are well within the fire perimeter and do not pose a threat. This will be the last update unless conditions change."

All evacuation warnings and road closures in Boulevard were lifted as of Wednesday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Authorities advised the public to drive slowly and be mindful of firefighters, deputies, road and utility crews working in the area.

The blaze erupted at about 3:30 p.m. Monday when a car overturned and caught fire on Interstate 8 near McCain Valley Road in Boulevard, north of Jacumba Hot Springs, according to Cal Fire.

The flames spread into rugged, rocky, brush-covered terrain on the north side of the freeway, moving toward nearby De Anza Springs Resort, said Mike Cornette, a fire captain with the state agency.

As firefighters battled the blaze on the ground and aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters, authorities closed the westbound lanes of the freeway in the area and cleared a total of 144 people out of threatened homes, most of them on the grounds of the resort on Carrizo Gorge Road, Cornette said. A temporary shelter for the evacuees was in operation at Golden Acorn Casino in Campo.

In the mid-afternoon Tuesday, authorities rescinded the evacuation order pertaining to De Anza Springs Resort, though residents near the burn zone were advised to remain ready to clear out of their neighborhoods should the fire become an imminent threat again.

"One engine is on patrol, with no more evacuations since they were lifted,'' Cal Fire PIO Captain Brent Pascua told City News Service on Saturday.

Pascua added that no structural damage has been reported, though the fire had moved to within less than a mile of some residences at one point.

The only known injuries stemming from the emergency were suffered by the motorist involved in the crash that sparked the blaze. Medics took that person to a hospital for treatment of moderately serious trauma, Cornette said.

The fire prompted a smoke advisory for the southeastern reaches of the San Diego area, the county Air Pollution Control District advised.

Among the threats posed by the conflagration involved potential damage to historic and culturally significant Native American artifacts, including wall art, according to Cal Fire, but no damage was reported.