What to Know: Nixon Fire
- The fire has burned 5,222 acres (about 2 of those acres are in San Diego County); 21% containment
- The cause of the blaze was electrical
- An evacuation warning has been issued for part of northern San Diego County; other evacuation orders and warnings in Riverside County are still in place
- Hamilton High School is hosting an evacuation center every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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A privately-owned electrical panel caused the more than 5,000-acre brush fire that erupted in Riverside County earlier this week and crossed into San Diego County, fire officials said on Friday.
The "Nixon Fire" broke out near Tule Valley Road and Richard Nixon Boulevard in the Aguanga community at around 12:30 p.m. on Monday, according to Cal Fire and the Riverside County Fire Department.
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The blaze moved south-southeast toward the county line between Riverside and San Diego and damaged at least four structures. Properties in the remote location are spaced acres apart. Crews were facing high temperatures and 15-mile-per-hour wind gusts.
Its flames sent a large plume of smoke into the sky, which could be seen from miles away. In San Diego County, people as far north as Oceanside and as far south as Chula Vista reported seeing the smoke. According to the National Weather Service, the dry air explains why people across San Diego County could see the smoke from nearly 30 miles away.
As of Friday, the fire scorched 5,222 acres and was 21% contained, Cal Fire Riverside said. Fire officials said about 2 of those acres are in San Diego County.
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The Nixon Fire showed minimal growth Friday toward the northeast and southeast portions, according to a statement from Cal Fire Riverside. Firefighters continued to utilize water-dropping helicopters to assist in maintaining control lines, although the fire continues to have spots well within the containment lines producing smoke.
An investigation into the cause revealed that an electrical panel was to blame, Cal Fire Riverside said on Friday. No other details about the cause were released.
Evacuation orders and warnings were in place for the surrounding areas. These impacted roughly 2,000 homes on Monday, officials said.
Because the blaze had potential to reach San Diego County, authorities issued evacuation warnings for parts of northern San Diego County near the boundary line on Tuesday night.
A map showing the affected areas can be found here.
Hamilton High School is hosting an evacuation center every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cal Fire said numerous engine and hand crews, numbering over 250 personnel, from the county, Cal Fire-San Diego County and other agencies were sent to the location on Monday and encountered flames burning at a "dangerous rate" to the southeast through medium brush.
Seven Cal Fire air tankers and four water-dropping helicopters began runs on the fire just before 1 p.m., initially slowing its advance before it accelerated again, according to reports from the scene.
Winds shifted due to the hilly terrain, complicating firefighting efforts. Ground crews were spread out, trying to establish structure protection lines.
Shortly after 4 p.m., the blaze spread into the 2,300-acre burn scar from the Bonny Fire that crews battled for over a week last July and August in Aguanga.
The fire grew to about 2,700 acres around 7:25 p.m., as firefighters continued efforts to stops its progress, according to Cal Fire officials.
With little fuel in the scar, the Nixon Fire lost momentum on one flank but continued to accelerate toward Iron Spring Mountain, lying on the boundary separating Riverside and San Diego counties.
The wilderness area is under the supervision of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
This is a developing story that will be updated as more information arrives.
