760-Acre Cristianitos Fire At Camp Pendleton, San Clemente 95% Contained

CAMP PENDLETON, CA – A fast-moving brush fire that burned 760 acres in northwestern Camp Pendleton and the southern reaches of neighboring San Clemente, is 95 percent contained Friday, according to Camp Pendleton officials.

With officials expecting the fire to be fully contained by Saturday, management of the Cristianitos Fire has been transitioned back to Camp Pendleton Fire Department from Orange County All-Hazards Incident Management Team.

"Authority has been transitioned back to Camp Pendleton, so at this point, it's really just a matter of continuing to put out the small stuff," Camp Pendleton Fire Capt. Brian Villiard told Patch.

The fire was first reported about 6:15 p.m. Wednesday near San Mateo Campground along Cristianitos Road, according to Camp Pendleton's Public Affairs Office.

Base officials said the blaze was 10 to 15 acres shortly before 6:30 p.m. By 8 p.m., the fire had spread to 400 acres.

Firefighters worked overnight Wednesday to stop the forward progression of the wildfire. Still, the blaze that was confined to Camp Pendleton base began burning San Clemente property, said Capt. Larry Kurtz of Orange County Fire Authority.

"We expected the fire to creep onto San Clemente property," Kurtz told Patch.

The fire threatened homes, businesses and an animal shelter in San Clemente, Kurtz said.

Two employees of the San Clemente-Dana Point Animal Shelter spent the night at the facility to ensure the safety of the animals and be prepared to evacuate, but no evacuations were necessary, according to city officials.

About 350 military and civilian firefighters fought the flames Wednesday, Villiard said, with just over 200 firefighters battling the blaze on Thursday. Camp Pendleton and Orange County fire crews were assisted by Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, San Diego County Fire Authority and various city fire agencies.

By 8 a.m. Friday, the fire was 95 percent contained, Villiard said, with about 75 percent of the burned acres on base and the remaining 25 percent in Orange County. Crews plan to continue mop-up operations, in an effort to protect against flareups at the site.

No structures have been damaged or destroyed, and no injuries have been reported.

“Firefighters are going to be out there today mopping up the fire,” Kurtz said. “Right now, they’re going around making sure there are no embers or hot spots. We can’t afford to let just one ember get past us or we’re back to square one again.”

All Camp Pendleton gates and roads are back open to traffic, Villiard said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Previous:

Cristianitos Fire Spreads To 760 Acres At Camp Pendleton, San Clemente; Crews Reach 70% Containment

Cristianitos Fire: 400-Acre Brush Fire Burns At Camp Pendleton, Threatens Homes In San Clemente

Also see:

Resident's Eerie Photos Of Cristianitos Fire: 'We Could See The Flames, And They Were Growing'

Smoke Advisory Issued To San Clemente, Pendleton Residents

Photo credit Orange County Fire Authority