SAN DIEGO — Fire crews remained on the scene of a brush fire Sunday off Deer Springs Road and southbound I-15 that started late Saturday morning. By Sunday evening the fire had been fully contained and the acreage was estimated to be seven-and-a-half acres, according to Cal Fire.
Two lanes of SB I-15 reopened at Gopher Canyon Rd Saturday, but authorities noted to drive with caution in the area. Traffic remained backed up for hours Saturday night.
Fire investigators found debris from a faulty catalytic converter in the area, which is suspected to be the cause of the fire, Cal Fire spokesman Thomas Shoots said.
“I guess the biggest thing that we want to get across is that we are still here and for the public," Isaac Sanchez with Cal Fire said. "Please drive slowly because we are still working in the area.”
There was no immediate threat to structures, according to the San Marcos Fire Department. Winds in the area were gusting at around 15 mph, the National Weather Service said.
“This was a fairly typical fire fight. It was a coordinated effort between air and ground resources from San Diego County and Riverside. Essentially, we had two fixed-wing, air tankers from the Ramona Air Attack Base. We had three helicopters assigned to this fire, as well as approximately 15 fire engines from Cal Fire and our cooperators from North County, with approximately 75 firefighters assigned to this fire," said Sanchez.
Sanchez said fire season is here and San Diego County is well-staffed with firefighters. He said people should also get prepared for fire season by creating emergency plans and defensible space around their properties. Sanchez also said Governor Newsom’s $536 million wildfire prevention plan is step in the right direction.
“It’s already had a noticeable impact. We’ve seen our fires increase in number so far this year compared to last year. Of course, the corresponding acres have increased also. But decisions like that have resulted in aggressive, vegetation fire initial attacks and hopefully, we’re going to continue to see success going forward,” Sanchez said.
Cal Fire said this year, most of the fires so far have been contained in their initial stages, preventing major damage. Sanchez said people also have the power to keep many of these fires from starting if they acknowledge that, stay alert and be as careful as possible.
“It’s not going to get better until later this year, the end of the year, if we get rains. Please be ready,” Sanchez said.
If you need more tips on fire safety and preparedness you can go to readyforwildfire.org.
WATCH: Two lanes of SB I-15 reopen at Gopher Canyon Road