A highway between Tijuana and Ensenada was closed after a fire started early Wednesday morning. The 'free' highway was closed to drivers, starting at Puerto Nuevo and was re-opened by 11 a.m.
As of 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the fire was 70-percent contained, after strong winds spread the flames, according to Ensenada firefighters.
The fire started near the Plaza Del Mar community, just north of La Fonda. The Mexican Army, firefighters, the National Guard and neighbors battled the fire as residents were evacuated in the area.
Dozens of homes have been destroyed after several fires started in Baja California in the last week, leaving many people without a home. More than 100 homes were destroyed from fires in Tecate. Two young girls, aged 12 and 17-years-old were killed in one of the fires.
Northern Baja California, like Southern California, has been experiencing dry, Santa Ana wind conditions. The Civil Protection of Baja California issued a notice that Santa Ana winds were expected until Oct 31. Classes were suspended on Wednesday in all of Mexicali and Ensenada because of the strong winds.
The U.S. Consulate Tijuana, Mexico sent out a fire alert on Friday Oct.25 warning American travelers about dozens of major fires in northern Baja California. The consulate urged people traveling to Mexico to enroll in a Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive safety messages and to keep U.S. documents up-to-date.
