Gusting Winds Feed Two Brush Fires In San Diego County Tuesday

SAN DIEGO, CA — Two fires erupted in San Diego's backcountry Tuesday, pushed by gusting winds and drying brush, a Cal Fire department spokesperson said.

The Blackwood Fire ate up dozens of acres east of Pine Valley and threatened a handful of structures, according to firefighters. The blaze grew to 30 acres by 1 p.m. as ground and airborne crews worked to subdue the flames.

The fire ignited near Black Wood and Old Mine roads at 11:30 a.m., several miles north of Interstate 8 in the Boulevard area, according to Cal Fire. Ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters fought the flames, which were moving to the northeast amid gusty conditions, said Thomas Shoots, a fire captain with the state agency.

"Certainly, wind is the biggest factor in (the spread of) this fire," Shoots said. Authorities cleared people out of about a half-dozen structures near the burn area, Shoots said. No structural damage or injuries had been reported as of early Tuesday afternoon.

A second small fire began at the San Diego and Riverside County border at approximately 1:30 p.m., according to a Cal Fire spokesperson.

Though thick black smoke was visible near Rainbow Valley, the blaze only burned through about an acre as firefighters halted the spread 30 minutes later.

No structural damage or injuries have been reported. That fire originated near Eighth Street, officials said.