Cal Fire crews battled a 20-acre fire in hot, dry conditions along Dehesa Road in San Diego's East County Tuesday.
The Sloane Fire broke out at 9:45 a.m. in an area with medium fuel according to Cal Fire officials. The fire was moving at a moderate rate of spread as of 10 a.m with no immediate structures threatened.
The area of the fire was near Dehesa and Sloane Canyon roads, east of Sycuan Casino and Golf Course.
In less than an hour the fire jumped from 3 to 4 acres to approximately 20, according to Cal Fire San Diego.
More than a dozen ground crew members were fighting flames as they burned through brush along a hillside. An NBC 7 News crew on the scene said water drops had begun before 10:30 a.m.
Just before 11 a.m., Cal Fire released the air tankers. One helicopter will stay at the fire.
What we can see so far from the Sloane Fire. #NBC7 pic.twitter.com/ytlSqhrFvi
— Gaby Rodriguez (@GabyR_news) June 27, 2017
Officials said they have not determined the cause of the fire.
A defensible space inspector who was in the area noticed the fire and called it in, Capt. Jon Heggie told NBC 7.
"The fire really is a result of the dry and hot temperatures we've seen over the last three days now resulting in really ripe conditions for burning," Heggie said.
Cal Fire and local government agencies were working on the fire including Sycuan Reservation.
#SloaneFire [update] IC reports 10 acres moderate of spread no immediate structure threat. pic.twitter.com/EerlqE2okr
— CAL FIRE SAN DIEGO (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) June 27, 2017
A Red Flag Warning has been issued for San Diego County effective until 1 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Weather conditions are hot and dry, providing the potential for any fire to grow quickly.
NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said winds in the area of the Sloane Fire are only 5-10 mph. Because of the fire’s position west of the mountains, wind speeds will not be high, she added.
The most recent temperature recorded near the fire is 91 degrees at Sycuan Golf Resort. Humidity is at 10 percent.
Were the fire to spark a little farther east, it could've been a very different story, Kodesh said. The winds in that area are gusting 20 to 30 mph.
No other information was available.
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