Copper Fire South Of U.S. Border Crosses Into San Diego County

UPDATE:

OTAY RANCH, CA — Firefighters Thursday stopped the forward spread of a brush fire that scorched about 50 acres in an area southeast of Otay Mountain and roughly 400 acres south of the United States-Mexico border, authorities said.

The blaze, dubbed the "Copper Fire," was reported around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday near Copper Canyon on Otay Mountain, southeast of Otay Ranch, according to Cal Fire San Diego.

When crews arrived, they discovered the blaze was south of the border and had burned roughly five acres by 11:15 p.m., the state agency reported. Crews remained on scene overnight to monitor the fire.

By 7 a.m., the fire had burned roughly 400 acres south of the border and spread to the U.S. side, scorching about 50 acres of vegetation, said Cal Fire Capt. Thomas Shoots.

Shortly before 8 a.m., firefighters had halted the forward spread of the blaze on the U.S. side, according to Cal Fire. No homes are in the area on the U.S. side.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

– City News Service

SAN DIEGO — Firefighters in San Diego were closely monitoring a fire that sparked Wednesday night just south of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The blaze, called the Copper Fire, broke out sometime before 10:30 p.m. and was burning near the base of Otay Mountain south of the border. Cal Fire said crews would remain on scene in case flames moved into San Diego County.

As of 11:15 p.m., the blaze had scorched about 5 acres and was burning entirely within Mexico, according to Cal Fire.

The fire sparked amid a red flag warning that wasn't set to expire until 6 p.m. Thursday.

No other information was immediately available.