Brush Fire Burns Homes; Evacuations Ordered
Bill Wechter/North County Times
A CalFire firefighter douses hotspots of a fire that burned hillsides on the north side of Highway 76 close to a mile west of the Pala Casino on Sunday afternoon.
A fast-moving fire in North County burned 122 acres and damaged three homes, according to officials.
The fire began at about 3 p.m. Sunday near state Route 76, about a mile west of Pala Casino.
Officials ordered evacuations on Palomar Del Norte Road and said that major electrical transmission lines were affected by the blaze. San Diego Gas and Electric was on scene Sunday night repairing damaged transmission lines.
Eastbound 76 was closed as fire crews battled the blaze, and reopened shortly before 8 p.m., the California Highway Patrol said.
"Investigators have determined the fire was human caused," according to CalFire spokesperson Nick Schuler.
The brush fire was 15 percent contained by 9 p.m. Full containment was expected at 10 a.m. Monday.
No injuries were reported.
