Crews Attack Brush Fire Near Bandy Canyon

ESCONDIDO, CA – A fire of unknown origin burned swaths of brushy terrain Monday on a hillside near the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, but there were no reports of structural threats.

The blaze erupted near Bandy Canyon and Old Survey roads in the San Pasqual area shortly before 1:30 p.m., according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

Within an hour, the fire had blackened roughly 10 open acres as ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters worked to halt its spread, SDFRD spokeswoman Monica Munoz said.

As of 4 p.m., the fire was 40 percent contained. No injuries have been reported.

It was not immediately clear what sparked the blaze.

Crews also today were extinguishing a roughly one-acre brush fire alongside the northbound side of Interstate 15, near Deer Springs Road in the Escondido area, according to Caltrans.

Two lanes on the freeway were shut down due to the fire. The blaze caused no structural damage.

<< Also see: Brush Fire Closes I-15 Lanes In Escondido Area >>

The first Santa Ana winds of the season buffeted the region today, with the potential to blast parts of the county with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour and increase the risk of wildfire, the National Weather Service said.

A red flag fire warning for the county's mountains and valleys went into effect at 8 a.m. and was expected to remain in effect through 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to the NWS.

The high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity were expected to create critical fire weather conditions for valleys and coastal foothills throughout San Diego County, according to the NWS forecast. Any fires that develop will likely spread "rapidly with extreme behavior,'' the NWS said.

U.S. Forest Service officials listed the threat of a Santa Ana-driven wildfire as only marginal today across San Diego County, but any wildfire that breaks out "may grow rapidly,'' according to the Santa Ana Wildfire Threat Index.

Winds will weaken Tuesday afternoon with humidity beginning to rise in inland areas on Wednesday, the NWS said.

Because of the increased fire danger today, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department put five extra brush engines, two extra water tenders and more than 20 extra firefighters on duty to help battle any potential wildfires.

• ALSO SEE: Northern California Wildfires Latest: 1 Dead, Evacuations, Hospitals Threatened, Homes Burned

City News Service and Kristina Houck/Patch contributed to this report

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