A brush fire sparked in Ocean Crest near Otay Mesa Friday evening, according to authorities.
Fire officials said the blaze began around 6:50 p.m. in the 5200 block of Avenida De Las Vistas, near Vista San Lucas.
Approximately two acres were burning at a moderate rate of spread just after 7 p.m.
Officials said the fire was burning near some homes and power lines.
At 7:10 p.m., police began evacuating homes in the 5300 block of Topsail Drive on the north side of the brush fire as a precaution.
Fire crews tackled the flames on the ground and helicopter assistance was requested.
Firefighters were able to knock down the fire just before 7:30 p.m. with the help of water drops from a helicopter.
Residents were then allowed back into their homes, but were definitely shaken up by fire.
Ocean Crest resident Brian Carter lives on Topsail Drive and told NBC 7 San Diego he and his family evacuated upon seeing the flames.
"It was getting really close to the house. I told my son, ‘C’mon, c’mon, let's go,'” said one resident.
Residents watched the fire close to their homes go from nothing to something quickly.
“It was a pretty bad fire – big,” said Carter.”[It] got really large, really quick. It went from maybe the size of a house to the size of 10 houses.”
As the flames crept closer to homes, Carter said he was definitely worried.
“Oh we're always concerned because there was a lot of brush around here and I don't know how long the brush has been here. We've been here 10 years and there hasn't been a fire in that time.
And it's only a matter of time before that brush goes up,” he said.
No injuries were reported and no homes were damaged by the fire.
Firefighters remained on the scene mopping up.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
