A brush fire that was burning in the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve on Sunday prompted some nearby residents in Sorrento Valley to be evacuated while others were urged to prepare as helicopters and air tankers dropped water and fire retardant on the flames, officials said.
The fire, which was reported around 1:30 p.m., was spreading eastward and by 4 p.m. had charred more than 70 acres, according to Cal Fire.
Residents north of Calle Cristobol and Sorrento Valley Boulevard were ordered to evacuate. Three areas were under evacuation warnings, including homes and businesses south of Carmel Mountain Road, east of Interstate 805 and south of Sorrento Valley Boulevard.
The fire was moving eastward at a slow pace, said San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesperson Candace Hadley. Fire crews were having some access issues because of the fire’s location, she said.
A temporary evacuation point was set up at Mandell Weiss Eastgate Park, 4161 Eastgate Mall.
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San Diego police asked drivers to avoid the area and reported they had closed roads at 10800 Vista Sorrento Parkway and also on the corner of Sorrento Valley Boulevard and Jasmine Crest Lane. Drone usage was prohibited in the area, officials said.
Cal Fire said there were at least 10 aircraft assigned to the blaze, including six helicopters and three air tankers. Two Cal Fire bulldozers and two hand crews also were sent to assist San Diego firefighters on the blaze.
One of the tankers assigned is capable of dropping 4,000 gallons of fire retardent at a time and one of the helicopters can drop 1,000 gallons of water, said Cal Fire Capt. Josh Cormode. One of the helicopters were from San Diego Gas & Electric.
The blaze was burning in an area that burned in June, which Cormode referred to as the “old Sorrento burn area.”
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