Brush Fire Prompts Evacuations, Road Closures In Santee

SANTEE, CA – A brush fire sparked Tuesday afternoon in a Santee riverbed, briefly prompting evacuations and road closures in the area.

The blaze broke out around 3:45 p.m. in the river bottom, alongside eastbound state Route 52 and Cuyamaca Street, according to the California Highway Patrol and San Diego County Sheriff's Department. Crews from Cal Fire and Santee Fire Department responded to the scene.

Homes in the area of Olive Lane and Prospect Avenue were evacuated, according to sheriff's officials. Roads were also closed in the area.

Shortly after arriving in the area to help extinguish the blaze, a Cal Fire helicopter crew had to land the aircraft due a drone being illegally flown over the burn zone, the state agency reported. It was not immediately clear who was operating the device.

"The unauthorized intrusion of our airspace by drone pilots is a danger to responders and the public in the area of the fire and will be prosecuted," Cal Fire officials said on Twitter.

Within an hour, crews had contained the fire, sheriff's officials said. No structures were damaged.

Sheriff's units were expected to remain in the area for traffic control.

Do you have photos of the fire? Send your photos with credit information to Kristina.Houck@patch.com.

Main photo via Santee Sheriff's Station; other photos credit Brooke Gardner Meek