The brush fire was reported at 3:20 p.m. at Sandia Creek Road on Tuesday in the community of De Luz.
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Fire crews continued to battle a brush fire Wednesday that was burning in the northeastern region of San Diego County in the community of De Luz.
Dubbed the Sandia Fire, it was reported at 3:20 p.m. Tuesday at Sandia Creek Road, and it was sending large plumes of smoke into the air that could be seen miles away. CAL FIRE officials said in a post on X that the fire was in a remote area with difficult access.
The fire was previously at 50 acres with a potential to grow to 250 acres, and additional air and ground resources were on the way due to the structure threat, according to officials. However, as of 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, the forward rate of spread had been stopped, and the fire was mapped at 24 acres with 35% containment.
An evacuation warning was also in effect for nearby residents, but has since been lifted due to the improved containment of the fire, the San Diego Sheriff's Office said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Tips: Preparing for a Wildfire Evacuation
CalFire has built a list of things to have ready in case you and your family are evacuated during any wildfire or disaster.
Ensure your wildfire ‘Go Bag’ includes:
Always have sturdy shoes and a flashlight near your bed, ready for sudden night evacuations.
If time allows, consider adding:
When wildfires break out across San Diego County, emergency officials use technical terms like "containment" and "forward rate of spread" that can confuse residents trying to understand the threat level. CBS 8 visited CAL FIRE headquarters and spoke with Cal Fire Captain Robert Johnson to decode the terminology that could help residents better assess their safety during wildfire emergencies.
Contained:
Johnson said "contained" means the fire is surrounded by barriers — either fire lines built by crews or natural breaks like roads, lakes and ridges.
When officials report a fire is "25% contained," barriers surround a quarter of the fire's perimeter. But Johnson warns that doesn't mean the fire is 25% extinguished.
"If you have 25% containment, 50% containment, it doesn't mean that we're out of the woods yet. It doesn't mean we're safe. It doesn't mean the fire is completely extinguished, so there still are hot spots that tend to be burning within the perimeter," Johnson said.
The forward rate of spread has been stopped:
Containment percentages can remain static while a fire continues growing, depending on whether the "forward rate of spread has stopped."
"The fire activity has been reduced, and the fire is not actively growing in size. This does not mean the fire is contained or controlled. It just means that the predominant active side of the fire is not actively growing," Johnson explained.
Controlled:
A "controlled" fire means 100% containment with flames extinguished and fuel cleared, though crews continue monitoring for hot spots.
"Once those hot spots are extinguished and safe, then the incident commander may say the fire is now under control," Johnson said.
Out:
Finally, "out" means no hot spots or smoke remain.
"Once a fire has 100% containment lines around the perimeter of the fire and all the hot spots within the fire's perimeter have been extinguished and the fire is controlled, now the fire is considered to be out," Johnson said.
Evacuation orders, warnings:
WATCH RELATED: How to know when it's time to go during a wildfire:
What factors contribute to high fire danger in Southern California?
Santa Ana Winds occur when air from the desert region blows westward toward the California coast. This results in dry air that flows east to west over the mountains and towards the valleys and coast of Southern California. Santa Ana winds typically feel warm because as the cool desert air moves down the side of the mountain, it is compressed, which causes the temperature of the air to rise. We tend to see relative humidity plummet and temperatures soar during offshore wind events like this.
These winds create high fire conditions not only for a fire to start but offshore, Santa Ana winds are the perfect fan needed to allow a fire to explode in size once it starts.
The water year restarts every year on October 1 and measures the rain totals for the season through the following September. When rain totals are below average, the vegetation that once was green turns brown and dry and can serve as fuel for wildfires. The saturated ground can help mitigate fire risk substantially, but the opposite tends to elevate our fire risk. The sooner and more frequently we see substantial rainfall, the lower our risk of a wildfire starting and spreading rapidly.
When a region is in critical fire danger, power companies tend to shut off power in pre-planned ways in order to prevent electrical equipment from sparking or starting fires. It is also because electric consumption tends to climb with warmer temperatures (usually thanks to A/C needs) and can lead to overall stress on the power grid. When you combine the risk of fire with planned power shut-offs, many school districts will close. Schools can also be used as monitoring sites for fire crews in the event of a fire starting.
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