Wildfires break out near San Diego, prompting evacuation orders

On January 22, 2025By Littum

Several wildfires broke out in San Diego County early Tuesday, prompting evacuation orders, school closings and power outages, while Los Angeles officials remained on high alert amid high winds and relentlessly dry conditions.

Crews responded to three small brush fires overnight in northern San Diego County. The Lilac Fire, the largest of the fires, grew to 80 acres and prompted evacuations in Bonsall, a small community about 45 minutes north of San Diego. The fire has displaced 86 residents and damaged two structures, officials said. It was 10% contained by 8 am Pacific Time.

The Pala Fire, north of the city of Pala Mesa, has burned 17 acres of land. Firefighters managed to halt the fire’s progress, which initially prompted evacuation orders that have since been lifted, officials said. Another brush fire, called the Riverview Fire, burned just one acre of land before firefighters contained it.

The origin of the flames is still unknown. They erupted as hurricane-force winds blew across Southern California through the night and early morning, according to preliminary reports from the national weather service. A wind gust of 102 mph was recorded in the San Diego Mountains around 10 p.m. Monday.

Nearly half of the 97,000 power outages in California late Tuesday morning were in nearby San Diego and Riverside counties.

In Los Angeles County, firefighters made progress against two deadly wildfires that destroyed more than 15,000 structures and killed at least 27 people. The region remained under red flag warnings, worrying officials that the Palisades and Eaton fires could spread or that additional flames could ignite.

Firefighters serve on the Lilac Fire in San Diego County

Authorities in San Diego County have gained a foothold in the fight against the acid fire that triggered a flurry of evacuations, power outages and school closings on Tuesday. Officials said around 10:00 a.m. PT its forward rate of spread had been stopped.

“Firefighters are making good progress on the fire,” an incident update from Cal Fire read. “Fire activity has decreased significantly.”

Containment of the fire was up to 10% at 8 local time, approximately seven hours after it was first reported.

“Two of the three fires that started overnight are now under control. However, the Lilac fire is still burning actively on 80 acres,” Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor, wrote in a post on social media. “Please stay alert, follow official updates and be prepared to evacuate if necessary. Our first responders are working tirelessly to protect life and property.”

School closings in San Diego County during wildfires

Several school districts closed Tuesday, citing “high winds, fire danger and power outages.” Below is a list of the school districts that have closed, according to San Diego County Office of Education.

Bonsall Unified School District
Julian Union Elementary School District
Julian Union High School District
Mountain Empire Unified School District
Spencer Valley School District
Warner Unified School District

Red flag warnings active in Southern California as flames rage

Red flag warnings stretched down the coast of Southern California on Tuesday as weather officials warned of strong gusts that could quickly spread fires and knock out power to homes and businesses. The dangerous fire weather is expected to last until midweek because of the wind and low humidity, the NWS said.

In San Diego County, forecasters warned of winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 70 mph. In the mountains, winds could reach 80 to 90 mph, the weather service said.

“If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior,” said a red flag warning from the weather service in San Diego. The weather forecast was set to expire at 22:00 local time.

Forecasters said Santa Ana winds would continue to blow over Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Tuesday afternoon. The warnings urged residents to be alert amid the strong winds and when humidity drops into the single digits.

“THIS IS AN EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS SITUATION,” said a warning from the National Weather Service in Los Angeles. “STRONG DAMAGE WINDS EXPECTED!”

Latest on the Palisades and Eaton fires

The Palisades fire was at 23,713 acres with 63% containment Tuesday morning, according to Cal Fire. The Eaton Fire had burned 14,021 acres and was at 89% containment.

“Firefighters are making steady progress and officials are reevaluating evacuation orders to ensure safe return,” a Tuesday report on the Palisades fire read. “Crews are working with utility companies to repair infrastructure and address hazards such as downed trees and downed power lines. The public is reminded to be alert for current fire conditions.”

Cal Fire said firefighters were focusing on hot spots within the perimeter of the Eaton Fire as officials lifted evacuation orders in phases.

Additionally, resources were staged in the city of La Cañada, west of the fire, “to respond to any new fire initiation or fire activity within the current footprint,” according to an operational update from Cal Fire.

Over 95K without power in Southern California

Tens of thousands of people woke up in the dark across Southern California as strong winds and wildfires spurred power outages across the region.

In San Diego County, more than 17,000 homes and businesses were without power at 10:45 a.m. PT, according to PowerOutage.us. In Riverside County directly to the north, the outages affected nearly 29,000 utility customers.

Across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, about 35,000 homes and businesses were in the dark.

How strong are the winds in Southern California?

Here are the highest gusts recorded over Southern California through Monday night, according to preliminary reports from the national weather service.

Sill Hill, San Diego County – 102 mph
Keen Ridge, Riverside County – 81 mph
Banning, Riverside County – 83 mph
Hauser Mountain, San Diego County – 77 mph
Chino Hills, Orange County – 71 mph
California State University, San Bernardino – 60 mph

(This story has been updated to add information.)