Cause of 4S Ranch Fire That Threatened Homes Determined

SAN DIEGO, CA: A brush fire that consumed five acres Thursday in 4S Ranch and prompted evacuations of several nearby homes was accidentally caused by welders, according to the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District.

RSF Fire Spokeswoman Julie Taber told Patch that investigators determined Thursday night that the fire was sparked by welders who were working near 4S Ranch Sports Park.

Firefighters who responded to the vegetation fire at 3 p.m. "found three homes that were in immediate threat of the fire," Taber stated in a news release.

Flames spread through dense vegetation behind the park on Dove Creek Road, causing nearby Oak Valley Middle School to shelter-in-place. 

Residents of several homes along Palomino Valley Road were ordered to evacuate as a precaution.

• Brush Fire In 4S Ranch Forces Evacuations

Crews from RSF Fire, Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Poway, San Diego and Cal Fire all responded and worked quickly to protect homes and extinguish the fire.

Two helicopters from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department also aided in the firefighting efforts, and sheriff's personnel assisted with evacuations, roadblocks and traffic control.

Westview High School was designated as an evacuation center but in the end, it was not needed.

By 5:30 p.m., the fire was 100-percent contained and all evacuation orders were lifted, though crews remained on scene for several hours to ensure all hot spots were out.

"This fire serves as a reminder that in Southern California we can have a quick moving fire any time of the year and we should always make sure we maintain defensible space around homes," said RSF Fire Chief Tony Michel. "The homes impacted by the fire had appropriate defensible space around their property, which aided in our firefighting efforts."

(Photo courtesy of Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District)