Following an all-night battle, firefighters announced forward progress had been stopped and most evacuation orders were lifted Thursday on the Thorn fire that began a day earlier near Boulevard.
The spread was halted at around 1,234 acres. By Friday morning, crews reported having 65% containment.
The fire started about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday near Buckthorn Trail and Old Highway 80, crossing Interstate 8 and burning east. Its forward progress was halted just west of McCain Valley Road, officials said.
For several hours Wednesday, the fire forced the closure of I-8 between Crestwood and Ribbonwood roads, with traffic being diverted to state Route 94.
Around 4 p.m. Thursday, the California Highway Patrol reported on X that only the right lane of I-8 in both directions remained closed, and the Crestwood Road on-ramp to eastbound I-8 and Ribbonwood Road on-ramp to westbound I-8 were open.
About 600 firefighters were on the fire Thursday, with crews dousing hot spots and building containment lines. Firefighters were assisted by eight aircraft, including three air tankers and four helicopters, said Cal Fire Capt. Oscar Sotelo.
Firefighters made good progress overnight Wednesday, as winds diminished and temperatures cooled. Things appeared tricky for firefighters momentarily Thursday. Sotelo said strong winds and a thunderstorm cell created a potential problem. But crews were still able to gain the upper hand, and the thunderstorm passed.
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“What thunderstorms do is create a kind of safety issue with firefighters on the ground if there’s a potential for lightning,” Sotelo said. “There were some lightning strikes nearby, but everybody is OK.”
The fire damaged at least one structure, but it was not destroyed, Sotelo said. It was not immediately clear what type of structure it was. Inspection teams were scouting the area Thursday, Sotelo said.
Sotelo said fire officials expect the fire to burn for several more days. “We will keep plugging away on the containment line,” he said.
Evacuation orders remained in place Thursday evening for areas closest to the fire’s ignition point and in the areas near its perimeter, particularly around Ribbonwood Road, according to Genasys Protect’s online mapping.
Sotelo said residents who are still evacuated need to stay away until the danger passes, and SDG&E crews determine the fire hasn’t affected power lines.
“The biggest thing is just safety,” he said. “We hate to tell them they can go back in while there are still hot spots.”
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