The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and Cal Fire San Diego had to send additional resources to a prescribed burn in MCAS Miramar Saturday after the planned event grew out of control.
The prescribed burn, dubbed the Aqueduct Fire, was planned for 57 acres, but quickly grew to 75 acres with the potential of growing to 200 acres, according to Cal Fire.
By about 2:25 p.m., when the flames had reached 15 acres, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department sent an additional five brush engines and a helicopter to assist the Miramar Fire Department.
Cal Fire also sent in help, specifically one helicopter, one air tank, two tankers, one hand crew and one battalion chief, according to Cal Fire Public Information Officer Brent Pascua.
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By 5:23 p.m., firefighters stopped forward progress of the fire, according to SDFD.
The Miramar Fire Department planned to burn nearly 60 acres of brush that tends to be fuel for wildfires in a controlled burn to get ahead of things like Santa Ana winds. It also acts as a chance for firefighters to get experience putting out fires in the dry brush. The burns were planned ahead of time for June 8 and 9 in East Miramar, along the San Diego County Aqueduct and NS-4 fuelbreak south to north, from State Route 52 to just south of Alliant International University.
However, Sunday's planned prescribed burn was canceled after Saturday's fire.
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"The MCAS Miramar Fire department will not be conducting day 2 of the controlled burn due to the recent brush fire," said Capt. Michael Scaccia, MCAS Miramar Communications Director.
From a nearby freeway, big clouds of smoke could be seen billowing. Passersby pulled over to take photos of the flames and smoke.
"We noticed there was not just helicopters flying around. There was also some small planes circling it and so it's kind of interesting to see all that goes into putting out a fire," Mandy Harris, a spectator said.
"We were driving up the 15, and could see the smoke from there so when we came back from the 15, we decided to get the 52 to see if there were was something that we could see closer," Harris said.
“I honestly didn’t know it was a control, but I’m glad they’re taking care of it and getting it under control,” spectator Aaron Nannini said.
