Investigators believe they now know the cause of last week's Caeser Fire in East County.
The blaze, which began Monday shortly before noon, prompting some evacuations, began when a hubcap retention ring "malfunctioned," according to Cal Fire spokesman Thomas Shoots. The thin metal ring then spun around inside the hubcap till it popped off, and the overheated metal, which had some "bluing on it, Shoots elaborated, is believed to have begun the fire. The ring was found at the fire's ignition point.
"The vehicle was not located," Shoots added. "They are not looking for the vehicle."
Get San Diego local news, weather forecasts, sports and lifestyle stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC San Diego newsletters.
The fire started at about 11:45 a.m. on the north side of state Route 78 near Ramona Trails Drive in the Witch Creek area and was quickly 20 to 30 acres and threatening structures, according to Cal Fire.
By 1 p.m., the fire had grown to neary 50 acres but crews stopped its forward spread, Shoots said last week. Around 6 p.m., it was 50% continued and a mop-up operation was underway, with firefighters extending containment and removing retardant.
Local
An evacuation warning was sent to people in the area north of SR-78, east of Pamo Road, west of Caesar Drive and south of Burma Road, according to the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services. Evacuations were voluntary but residents with disabilities and/or large animals were told to leave when the warning was issued.
The fire shut down SR-78 in both directions from Magnolia Avenue to Southerland Dam Road in Ramona.
At least five firefighters suffered minor injuries in the fire, Shoots said last week. Three were transported to area hospitals and all incidents are believed to be heat-related.
