How many wildfires have erupted in San Diego County this year so far?

Above: A FOX 5/KUSI video on wildfire preparedness.

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego County has seen a rough start to its annual fire season, with multiple notable wildfires erupting across the county amid unseasonably sweltering heat over the last few weeks.

Between a rare brush fire near the coast in Del Mar Heights and a blaze sparked by a car crash that scorched more than 1,500 acres in rural East County, fire crews have remained busier than normal during wildfire season’s amuse bouche.

In 2024 thus far, Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service have already logged 3,422 wildfires fires across the state, which have burned through over 160,000 acres of land — both exceeding last year’s end-of-year totals.

According to Cal Fire , the number of incidents this year to date is similarly on the verge of surpassing the state’s five-year average for incidents in a single year.

In San Diego County, Cal Fire has already responded to 43 wildland fires to date this year — equal last year’s total number of incidents — and at least 11 have reached more than 10 acres in size . That’s not including any fires that have erupted outside Cal Fire’s area of responsibility.

This year’s incidents have burned through a whopping 2,311 acres of land, according to Cal Fire San Diego Cpt. Mike Cornette. In comparison, last year’s 43 fires burned 123 acres of land, while the 82 wildland fires recorded in 2022 scorched 844 acres.

The McCain Fire , which erupted last week and led to evacuations in rural southeastern San Diego, was the first wildland fire in the county to surpass 1,000 acres in size this year. As of Monday, it is considered 95% contained.

Below: A time-lapse video showing the McCain Fire’s development on Monday, July 1.

“Wildfires are going to continue to be a real and present danger … This season is proving to be more active,” Cornette said, adding that the lack of late-season precipitation and drying out of brush grown due to earlier rainstorms has been driving much of this activity.

Cal Fire urges people to remain proactive in protecting themselves and their property in case of a wildfire, including creating a defensible space around one’s home, engaging in “home hardening” and drafting a plan in case of an evacuation warning or order.

This proactive preparation for an evacuation includes packing a “go bag” or emergency kit, coming up with a wildfire action plan and learning evacuation routes in the community, among other things.

A full guide on what to do to prepare for a wildfire can be found on Cal Fire’s website.

“Evacuation orders can come quickly,” Cornette said.

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