Lilac Fire Burns Out Of Control In San Diego County

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA – A rapidly-spreading wildfire scorched thousands of acres Thursday in northern San Diego County, injuring civilians and firefighters, destroying structures, closing roads, forcing evacuations and prompting the state to declare an emergency.

The fire, called the Lilac Fire, has burned 4,100 acres near Interstate 15 and State Route 76 in North County.

About 700 firefighters battled the blaze Thursday, which was 0 percent contained. Cal Fire utilized San Diego Fire-Rescue helicopters, in addition to the agency's own resources in the firefight. Roughly 70 deputies handled road closures and provided security for evacuated homes, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Navy and Marine Corps aircraft were expected to join firefighting efforts on Friday.

<< UPDATE: Lilac Fire: 4,100 Acres Burned, Some Evacuations Lifted >>

The blaze broke out shortly before 11:30 a.m. at Old Highway 395 and Dulin Road in Bonsall, according to Cal Fire. Since then, 20 structures have been destroyed, while a dozen others were damaged as the flames impacted the communities of Bonsall and Fallbrook, as well as the cities of Oceanside and Vista.

As of Friday morning, thousands of structures remained threatened.

Cal Fire officials confirmed four civilians suffered injuries. Three sustained burn injuries in the flames and another suffered from smoke inhalation. They were treated and taken to a hospital. The extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

One firefighter suffered a dislocated shoulder, while another was treated for smoke inhalation, according to Cal Fire.

A number of horses died or were injured when flames from the wind-driven fire swept through the San Luis Rey Training Center in Bonsall.

<<< ALSO SEE: Strong Santa Ana Winds Prompt 'Extreme' Fire Warning In San Diego >>>

San Diego County declared a local state of emergency shortly before 1:30 p.m., making the region eligible for federal and state resources. By Thursday evening, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in the county due to the Lilac Fire threatening thousands of structures and critical infrastructure and causing the evacuation of residents.

Evacuation Orders

A mandatory evacuation order was originally called for residents west of Highway 395 to Sullivan Middle School in Bonsall, according to North County Fire Protection District.

Bonsall Elementary School, Sullivan Middle School, Bonsall High School and nearby Rancho Monserate Country Club were evacuated. Students were transported to Fallbrook High School, according to Bonsall Unified School District.

By 6:15 p.m., the fire was burning in the SR-76 corridor. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department advised residents in Vista, Oceanside and Fallbrook to be prepared to evacuate, depending on wind conditions and direction.

As the fire neared and eventually crossed into Oceanside, the city activated its Emergency Operations Center and mandatory evacuations were ordered for several neighborhoods.

According to Cal Fire, evacuation orders have been called for the following areas, from Bonsall to Oceanside: south of State Route 76; west of Interstate 15; West Lilac Road; east of South Mission Road; north of Camino Del Rey; south of West Lilac Road to Mission Road; north of Pala Road; south of Reche Road; east of Green Canyon Road and West Mission Road; south of Camino Del Rey; north of Gopher Canyon Road; east of East Vista Way and Mission Road; south of North River Road; west of East Vista Way; north of Bobier Drive; east of Melrose and North Santa Fe; south of Burma Road; east of Wilshire; north of North River Road; west of South Mission Avenue; east of Green Canyon Road and South Mission Road; north of Burma Road; east of Camp Pendleton's eastern fence line; west of Green Canyon Road; south of Camp Pendleton's eastern fence line; north of North River Road; west of Wilshire Road; and east of Douglas Drive.

An evacuation warning has been called for the areas south of North River Road; north of Oceanside Boulevard; west of Melrose and North Santa Fe; and east of Old Grove Road and Douglas Drive.

Evacuation Shelters

An overnight shelter was established for evacuees at East Valley Community Center, which was working with San Diego Humane Society to care for evacuated pets. The center is located at 2245 East Valley Parkway in Escondido.

Additional evacuation shelters opened at Stagecoach Community Park located at 3420 Camino de Los Coches in Carlsbad, as well as Oceanside High School at 1 Pirates Cove Way in Oceanside. Both shelters were accepting pets.

By late Thursday night, the shelters at Oceanside High School and Stagecoach Community Park had reached capacity. Evacuees were being directed to East Valley Community Center and Palomar College, which opened as a shelter early Friday morning. Palomar College is located at 1140 West Mission Road in San Marcos. The shelter was accepting animals.

Temporary evacuation shelters opened at Fallbrook High School at 2400 South Stage Coach Lane in Fallbrook and Pala Casino at 11154 CA-76 in Pala. A temporary evacuation point was also established at the Carlsbad Forum at 1923 Calle Barcelona in Carlsbad.

The temporary evacuation centers at Great Oaks High School and Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula were closed, according to Cal Fire.

The Del Mar Fairgrounds opened as an evacuation center for large animals. County officials urged livestock owners to evacuate their animals well ahead of time. People in need of assistance with large animal evacuations were asked to call the county's Department of Animal Service's 24-hour emergency dispatch at 619-236-2341.

Closures

The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert on southbound I-15, but lanes later reopened. SR-76 was closed in both directions between East Vista Way and Old Highway 395.

Cal State San Marcos canceled classes for the rest of Thursday and Friday. MiraCosta College's Oceanside campus and Community Learning Center also closed Thursday. All sites will be closed Friday as well.

Palomar College's main campus remained open Thursday, but facilities in Fallbrook, Bonsall and Camp Pendleton were closed. Palomar College will be closed Friday, Palomar Community College District announced. All classes and campus events were canceled for all sites and facilities.

A dozen school districts will be closed Friday in expectation of high winds and potential power outages, according to the San Diego County Office of Education. These include Bonsall Unified, Carlsbad Unified, Fallbrook Union Elementary, Fallbrook Union High, Julian Union Elementary, Julian Union High, Mountain Empire Unified, Oceanside Unified, San Marcos Unified, Spencer Valley, Vista Unified and Warner Unified.

Some of the districts are located in the path of the Lilac Fire, while other schools were closed in expectation of possible power outages due to strong winds.

In addition, several charter schools will be closed Friday. These include Bella Mente Montessori Academy, Classical Academy, Classical Academy High School, Coastal Academy, Epiphany Prep's Escondido campus, Escondido Charter High School, Guajome Park Academy, Heritage K-8 Charter and North County Trade Tech High School.

Momentum Learning juvenile court and community schools, which is operated by the San Diego County Office of Education, will close its Youth Day Center, Breaking Cycles, Innovations Academy of Empowerment and North County Technology Academy. North County Academy, also operated by the County Office of Education, will also be closed.

The county's Health and Human Services Agency announced the following Fallbrook and Oceanside facilities will be closed Friday: Fallbrook Community Resource Center at 202 West College St. in Fallbrook; North Coastal Family Resource Center, Aging and Independence Services, and Child Welfare Services at Union Plaza Court in Oceanside; and North Coastal Public Health Center located at 3609 Ocean Ranch Blvd. in Oceanside. The closest alternative location for these services is the North Inland Live Well Center at 649 West Mission Ave. in Escondido.

The city of Oceanside canceled its annual tree-lighting ceremony due to air quality and traffic control concerns. The event was scheduled for Thursday evening. The Oceanside Sunset Market was also canceled.

The city of Carlsbad canceled all league practices and games on Carlsbad fields Thursday evening.

The following roads were closed in the Fallbrook area: Gopher Canyon Road from East Vista Way to Little Gopher Canyon Road; Old River Road at Little Gopher Canyon Road through Golf Club Drive; Camino Del Rey at SR-76 to Old Highway 395; Old Highway 395 from SR-76 to West Lilac Road; West Lilac Road from Old Highway 395 to Camino Del Rey; SR-76 from Old Highway 395 to Via Monserate; South Mission Road at Winterhaven Road to southbound traffic to SR-76.

The following roads were closed in Oceanside: SR-76 in both directions at North Santa Fe and Melrose eastward; eastbound traffic on North River Road at Leon. Westbound traffic remained open for evacuees.

Conditions

The Lilac Fire sparked as dangerous Santa Ana winds slammed the county and the rest of Southern California. Critical fire conditions prompted the National Weather Service to extend a red flag fire warning, now slated to expire Sunday night.

Winds in the area of the blaze were blowing at 30 to 35 miles per hour Thursday afternoon, with wind gusts as strong as 51 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service. Winds later decreased but remained breezy and gusty.

Smoke from the fire was visible from miles away due to the strong winds. Throughout the day, city officials from Carlsbad, Escondido, Oceanside and San Marcos reassured residents that there were no threats to the cities at the time and they were monitoring the situation.

A small brush fire later sparked in Loma Alta Creek in Oceanside. By Thursday evening, the Lilac Fire crossed into the city.

Video via Lynn Donovan