San Diego's Lilac Fire Now 100 Percent Contained: Cal Fire
The blaze began the morning of Dec. 7 off State Route 76 and Interstate 15 in Bonsall in San Diego's North County
By Monica Garske ••
Ten days after the Lilac Fire ripped through San Diego’s North County, Cal Fire officials reached the milestone they’d been tirelessly working toward Saturday: 100 percent containment.
Just after 6 a.m., the agency announced the 4,100-acre fire was 100 percent contained.
“A big thank you to our local, state and federal cooperators,” Cal Fire said in an update posted to Twitter. “We couldn’t do it without our great partnerships and teamwork.
#LilacFire [final] The fire is now 4,100 acres and 100% contained. A big thank you to our local, state and federal cooperators. We couldn't do it without our great partnerships and teamwork. Photo by Jeff Hall @IShootFirepic.twitter.com/MmZ6oGnxqf
— CAL FIRE/SAN DIEGO COUNTY FIRE (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) December 16, 2017
The Lilac Fire first sparked around 11:15 a.m. on Dec. 7 off an interchange at State Route 76 and Interstate 15 in Bonsall, a rural community in San Diego’s North County known for its farms and ranches. Amid gusty winds and low humidity, the fire exploded to 500 acres within 20 minutes.
Noah Berger/AP
Flames consume a structure as the Lilac fire burns in Bonsai, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. The blaze burned numerous structures and thousands of acres according to fire officials. Wind-swept blazes have forced tens of thousands of evacuations and destroyed dozens of homes in Southern California.
TELEMUNDO 20
A homeowner stands in the area where his home once stood after the Lilac Fire swept through Bonsall and parts of Fallbrook Thursday.
Noah Berger/AP
Flames consume a residence as the Lilac fire burns in Bonsai, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 8, 2017.
NBC 7
A homeowner surveys the damage done to her home by the Lilac Fire in December 2017.
San Diego Fire Department via AP
A row of homes burn in the Lilac fire in Bonsall, Calif., on Dec. 7, 2017, in this video screenshot from the San Diego Fire Department. A brush fire driven by gusty winds that have plagued Southern California all week exploded rapidly Thursday north of San Diego, destroying dozens of trailer homes in a retirement community and killing race horses at an elite training facility.
AFP/Getty Images
Firefighters work to save a home from an encroaching fire during the Lilac fire in Bonsall, California on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017.
Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images
Firefighters battle the Lilac fire in Bonsall, Calif., on Dec. 7, 2017.nLocal emergency officials warned of powerful winds that will feed wildfires raging in Los Angeles, threatening multi-million dollar mansions with blazes that have already forced more than 200,000 people to flee.
Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images
Volunteers rescue horses at a stable during the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif. on Dec. 7, 2017. Several hundred horses and large animals were evacuated. Some prized racehorses kept at training stables and barns were set loose to run away from the flames.
Sandy Huffaker/AFP/Getty Images
Firefighters walk to the fire line at the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, Calif., on Dec. 7, 2017. The fire sparked Thursday morning, prompting mandatory evacuations of homes and schools nearby.
NBC 7 San Diego
Aircraft quickly made retardant drops.
TELEMUNDO 20
The Lilac Fire prompted evacuations of nearby residents and schools, as well as road closures.
NBC 7 San Diego
Another aircraft flies into the flames.
TELEMUNDO 20
The Lilac Fire sparked Thursday morning.
NBC 7 San Diego
The Lilac Fire was first reported around 11:20 a.m.
Caltrans
A view of the smoke from the fire, as captured by Caltrans cameras.
SDG&E Live Presence Camera
SDG&E Live Presence Camera's captured this view of the smoke from the Lilac Fire, as it appeared about an hour after it sparked.
TELEMUNDO 20
The fire moved quickly.
TELEMUNDO 20
Firefighters guided motorists out of the area as the flames raged.
TELEMUNDO 20
The Lilac Fire prompted evacuations of nearby residents and schools, as well as road closures.
NBC 7 San Diego
Cars emerged from the smoke as motorists fled the fire.
TELEMUNDO 20
TELEMUNDO 20
The Lilac Fire, as seen from a half-mile west of I-15 on SR-76. As of 1:15 p.m. the fire was still active and blowing west.
National Weather Service
The National Weather Service posted this photo to Twitter, which showed a MODIS satellite view of the Lilac Fire.
NBC 7 San Diego
Sullivan Middle School was evacuated amid the Lilac Fire. Firefighters scoured the campus, putting out hotspots from embers that drifted from the brush fire to the school.
NBC 7 San Diego
Sullivan Middle School was evacuated amid the Lilac Fire. Firefighters scoured the campus, putting out hotspots from embers that drifted from the brush fire to the school.
NBC 7 San Diego
Aircraft battle the Lilac Fire.
NBC 7 San Diego
Aircraft battle the Lilac Fire.
NBC 7 San Diego
Aircraft battle the Lilac Fire.
NBC 7 San Diego
Embers lit up some landscape at Sullivan Middle School. The campus was evacuated earlier on and no one there was hurt.
NBC 7 San Diego
Smoke fills Sullivan Middle School where students and faculty were evacuated due to the Lilac Fire.
NBC 7
The fire spread to 4,100 acres as of 9 p.m. Thursday, threatening 5,000 structures.
NBC 7
Mandatory evacuation orders were expanded to include parts of Oceanside Thursday night.
NASA via AP, File
Cal Fire officials said three people suffered burn injuries.
NBC 7
The Lilac Fire was burning out of control and at zero percent containment, according to fire officials.
Marine Corps Installations West
Volunteers and members of Marine Corps Community Services and Stepp Stable borders help community members evacuate their horses to Camp Pendleton, Calif., December 7, 2017. The Lilac fire has caused evacuations from the Oceanside and Fallbrook areas and Stepp Stables is taking in horses in need of a safe haven. (U. S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Betzabeth Y. Galvan)
Marine Corps Installations West
Volunteers and members of Marine Corps Community Services and Stepp Stable borders help community members evacuate their horses to Camp Pendleton, Calif., December 7, 2017. The Lilac fire has caused evacuations from the Oceanside and Fallbrook areas and Stepp Stables is taking in horses in need of a safe haven. (U. S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Betzabeth Y. Galvan)
Marine Corps Installations West
Volunteers and members of Marine Corps Community Services and Stepp Stable borders help community members evacuate their horses to Camp Pendleton, Calif., December 7, 2017. The Lilac fire has caused evacuations from the Oceanside and Fallbrook areas and Stepp Stables is taking in horses in need of a safe haven. (U. S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Betzabeth Y. Galvan)
Telemundo 20
Dozens of mobile homes were burned to the ground in the Lilac Fire on Dec. 7, 2017.
SkyForce10
Angelos Papazis, NBC 7
SDG&E live presence camera
Thie image was captured by the SDG&E alert cameras
As the hours passed, the wind-driven flames tore through trees, brush and, eventually, homes. At its peak, the Lilac Fire forced evacuations of 10,000 residents many of whom scrambled to gather their belongings and get to safety not knowing whether they’d have a home to return to.
In all, the fire destroyed 157 structures and damaged 64 others.
The fire shut down roads, schools and power lines. Horses at training facilities in the area were killed trying to escape the flames; trainers were burned and trampled trying to help their animals.
North County residents are getting their homes and property cleaned up and attempting to return to normal after a Lilac Fire scorched homes in Bonsall. NBC 7’s Steven Luke reports.
All this happened as Southern California experienced a “siege” of six wildfires in the region, including the destructive Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties which, as of Saturday morning, had torched 259,000 acres and was 40 percent contained.
On Saturday morning, on the heels of the Lilac Fire breakthrough, parts of San Diego County experienced light drizzle – a welcome sight after the long dry spell.
A worker at the San Luis Rey Training center in San Diego’s North County was trampled by several horses while trying to extinguish flames raging through a stable during the height of last week’s Lilac Fire. NBC 7’s Artie Ojeda reports.
The National Weather Service said more fire weather is looming for San Diego County Sunday, as a red flag warning is in effect from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The warning brings with it, once again, strong, gusty winds and low humidity that could help fuel a wildfire. This means any fires that develop will likely spread rapidly and be difficult to contain.
NBC 7 guest Cal Fire San Diego Chief Tony Mecham shares how the lessons learned from San Diego County fires in 2003 and 2007 were applied to fighting the Lilac Fire.
To get the latest weather updates from NBC 7 throughout the weekend, click here.
Liberty Zabala's Weekend Forecast for Saturday, December 16, 2017
