What to Know
- Keys Fire remains 18 acres and is 70% contained
- Most evacuation warnings and shelter-in-place orders have been lifted except for areas near the fire's perimeter
- Firefighters will remain on scene throughout Wednesday evening
A vegetation fire broke out in Valley Center, a rural area of north San Diego County, on Wednesday afternoon, sending billows of smoke high into the sky.
The "Keys Fire" burned near the intersection of Lilac Road and Keys Creek Road in Valley Center, an area with large farms, according to Cal Fire.
By about 3:08 p.m., firefighters had stopped the forward rate of spread of the fire, according to Cal Fire. The fire was originally reported to have been stopped at 30 acres, but acreage was updated to 18 acres and 70% containment later in the evening. No structures were damaged or destroyed by the flames, Cal Fire wrote on X.
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Expect firefighters to remain at the scene throughout Wednesday evening to build a containment line around the fire and to cool hot spots.
Around 2:30 p.m., shelter-in-place orders and evacuation warnings were issued due to the fire, but the shelter-in-place order was soon rescinded, according to a map from San Diego County's Office of Emergency Services. By 3:21 p.m., evacuation warnings were lifted except for the areas surrounding the fire, Alert San Diego said.
Firefighters could be seen attacking the flames overhead with water-dropping helicopters.
