Firefighters are battling to contain a wildfire, dubbed the Henderson Fire, that broke out on Friday evening in San Diego County and which had consumed 200 acres as of 4:30 a.m. PT on Saturday.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has issued compulsory evacuation orders for an area around the blaze, with lower evacuation warnings in force for a wider region.
Why It Matters
Southern California is still recovering from a devastating series of wildfires that ripped through around 66,618 acres in the Golden State in January, leaving at least 29 people dead. Following the infernos rents in Los Angeles spiked by 20 percent.
The Henderson Fire was only 5 percent contained at 4:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, raising fears it could grow substantially.
What To Know
According to CAL FIRE the Henderson Fire began at around 5:45 p.m. ET on Friday and has since consumed 200 acres in San Diego County, in a rural area north of San Diego and south-east of Los Angeles.
Compulsory evacuation orders, constituting “a lawful order to LEAVE NOW,” have been issued for SDC-0040, SDC-0063, SDC-0064, SDC-0065, SDC-0112, SDC-0113, SDC-0114, SDC-0115 and SDC-0159 encompassing the area directly around the fire. The public is now banned from entering these areas.
Wider evacuation warnings, meaning there is a “potential threat to life and/or property,” have been issued for SDC-0063, SDC-0066, SDC-0158, SDC-0116, SDC-0117 and SDC-0118. For these areas CAL FIRE said: “Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.”
A temporary evacuation point has been established at the Pala Casino Parking Lot just off Highway 76 at Pala.
On X, formerly Twitter, CAL FIRE’s San Diego station said the blaze was being tackled by 160 firefighters from multiple agencies who were having to contend with “steep terrain with limited access.” They added that the Red Cross was on hand to assist displaced residents.
What People Are Saying
In its most recent update, CAL FIRE said: “The fire is burning in the area of Henderson Road and Pala Mission Road. A substantial number of additional resources have been ordered, EVACUATION ORDERS and WARNINGS are in place. If you are immediately affected by the fire, please follow all evacuation notices and orders.”
In a post on X, Temecula resident Jason Kovacs said: “The #HendersonFire is burning close to us! Praying for those who are fighting it tonight and for full containment. Sobering.”
On Friday evening, amateur-run SoCal Wildfire Tracker posted on X: “#HendersonFire it’s going to be quite the overnight fight. The area it’s burning in hasn’t seen fire since 2000. Evacuation are extending as far north as the county border to the north and up to 7 miles east of the fire. Fire is 145 acres and is already impacting ranch land.”
What Happens Next
CAL FIRE is continuing to battle the Henderson Fire. Local residents can keep up to date with the latest information and evacuation orders via its official website.
The post California Fire Map Shows 200 Acres Burning as Evacuations Ordered appeared first on Newsweek.
