Containment Grows on Campo Wildfire

CAL FIRE said Thursday evening that the Tusil Fire near Campo in southeastern San Diego County was 90% contained after burning 820 acres and prompting evacuation orders, warnings and freeway closures earlier in the week. The fire started at about 1 p.m. on May 19 near Tusil Road on the Campo Reservation, according to the agency’s incident page. Interstate 8 was shut in both directions for several hours as the fire crossed the freeway area and threatened structures. By late Thursday, CAL FIRE said no additional growth had been reported overnight and evacuation warnings had been lifted. ### Where did the fire start, and how fast did it spread? The Tusil Fire started on May 19 near the 37000 block of Tusil Road on the Campo Reservation, just north of Interstate 8, according to CAL FIRE and local news reports. San Diego County fire officials said the blaze spread quickly through light to moderate fuels and moved toward the freeway. By Tuesday evening, the fire had grown to 1,000 acres before later mapping revised the size downward to 820 acres, CAL FIRE said. The agency said on May 20 that the acreage reduction reflected more accurate mapping from intelligence aircraft. ### Why were evacuations ordered in Campo? The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department issued evacuation orders and warnings on May 19 for nearby areas after fire officials said the blaze was threatening structures. AlertSanDiego said a temporary evacuation point was opened at Golden Acorn Casino in Campo. Fox 5 San Diego, citing CAL FIRE Captain Mike Cornette, reported that about 14 to 17 residences were affected by the incident area. Cornette said no homes were damaged, though one auxiliary structure and a vehicle were damaged. ### What happened on Interstate 8? AlertSanDiego said Interstate 8 was closed westbound between Highway 94 and Ribbonwood Road and eastbound at Kitchen Creek Road on Tuesday evening. Traffic was diverted to Old Highway 80 as crews worked the fire near the roadway. KPBS reported that the fire crossed Interstate 8, and CAL FIRE later said crews were working to mitigate hazards along the freeway corridor. By 5:24 p.m. on May 20, CAL FIRE said all road closures related to the incident had been lifted. ### How much containment have firefighters gained? CAL FIRE said containment reached 55% by the evening of May 20 as weather conditions improved and fire behavior moderated. The agency said evacuation orders were downgraded to evacuation warnings at that stage. By the morning of May 21, CAL FIRE said the fire was 73% contained. In its latest update posted at 4:20 p.m. on May 21, the agency said firefighters had held the fire within its current footprint overnight, with no additional growth reported, and later listed the fire at 90% containment. ### Are any warnings or restrictions still in place? CAL FIRE said Thursday evening that evacuation warnings had been lifted. Earlier updates had said some warnings remained in place after evacuation orders were reduced. CBS 8 reported that smoke from the fire affected air quality in parts of southeast San Diego County, and residents near Campo were urged to limit outdoor activity if they smelled smoke, especially children, older adults and people with heart or respiratory conditions. ### What are crews doing next? CAL FIRE said crews are continuing to search for and extinguish interior hot spots within the fire perimeter. The agency also said suppression repair operations are underway, including rehabilitation of dozer lines and other areas affected during firefighting operations. The CAL FIRE incident page, last updated at 9:19 p.m. on May 21, listed the cause as under investigation and said firefighters remained focused on strengthening containment around the Tusil Fire perimeter.