US-Mexico Border

Border 2 Fire near Otay Mountain scorches 6,000+ acres, prompts evacuations

The fire sparked while a red flag warning was still in effect for parts of San Diego County, bringing elevated concern for firefighters and residents.

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NBC 7’s MG Perez is at the command post with the latest on the Border 2 fire. 

What to know: Border 2 Fire

  • Size: 6,625 acres, 10% contained
  • Evacuation orders: SDC-2389-A, SDC-2390, SDC-2464, SDC-2465, SDC-2466, SDC-2543, SDC-2544, SDC-2545 (Visit Genasys Protect for more information)
  • Evacuation warnings: SDC-2306, SDC-2307, SDC-2389-B, SDC-2391, SDC-2393, SDC-2461, SDC-2462, SDC-2463, SDC-2467, SDC-2541, SDC-2542, SDC-2546, SDC-2605
  • Evacuation centers: The American Red Cross has opened an overnight shelter for evacuees at Cuyamaca College's gym, 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, El Cajon, CA 92019
  • Road closures: Alta Road, near Orayis closed to traffic just south of Otay Mesa Road; Otay Lakes Road closed from Wueste to CA-94 Campo Road; WB SR-94 at SR-188; EB/WB SR-94 from Honey Springs Rd to SR-188
  • smoke advisory is affecting Otay Mesa, El Cajon, Alpine, Pine Valley, Jamul and surrounding areas

UPDATE Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, 6 p.m.:

Firefighters continued working overnight to corral a wildfire that had spread over some 10 square miles of remote terrain a few miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border in the San Diego area.

Officials estimated the fire had burned an estimated 6,625 acres and remained at 10% contained.

Original story:

The Border 2 Fire broke out on Otay Mountain near the Otay Mountain Truck Trail around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Cal Fire. It sent a large plume of smoke into the sky that could be seen for miles across San Diego County. As night fell, the flames cast an eerie glow across Otay Mountain.

As of 10:30 p.m. Friday, the fire has scorched 6,273 acres and is 10% surrounded.

Shortly after the fire started, Cal Fire San Diego said in an X post that the blaze had already burned 20 acres and had a "dangerous rate of spread." However, firefighters later downgraded the rate of spread to moderate, meaning that their efforts were beginning to bear fruit.

Fixed-wing aircraft were seen making water drops on the fast-growing fire, including a very large air tanker assigned to fight the flames, according to Cal Fire. In the late afternoon, Cal Fire said 200 personnel had been assigned to the fight.

During the afternoon, the fire crested Otay and "impacted [a] communications tower at the top of the mountain," according to Cal Fire.

Footage from an ALERTCalifornia camera shows a brush fire burning near the U.S.-Mexico border and sending a large plume of smoke into the sky in San Diego County.

By nighttime, the fire had spread to around 600 acres with 0% containment before Cal Fire officials said crews witnessed "extreme fire behavior." The blaze then exploded to thousands of acres overnight.

Authorities issued evacuation orders, warnings and advisories for those nearby the fire. Multiple schools in the Sweetwater Union High School District and the Chula Vista Elementary School District canceled classes Friday due to safety and air quality concerns. Firefighting activity also prompted several road closures.

The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for San Diego County, but the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District said the areas affected were Otay Mesa, El Cajon, Alpine, Pine Valley, Jamul and the surrounding areas.

The Border 2 Fire sparked while a red flag warning was still in effect for parts of San Diego County. Thursday's forecast was for the strongest winds of a week of Santa Ana's, which brought elevated concern for firefighters and residents.

It was just one in a series of blazes that erupted in San Diego County this week, including the Gilman Fire in La Jolla, the Lilac Fire in Bonsall, the Friars Fire in Mission Valley and the Center Fire in Rancho Bernardo.

Evacuation orders, warnings and advisors issued for Border 2 Fire

Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued for areas to the fire's north, east and west — with some stretching into eastern Chula Vista.

The red shows areas under evacuation orders, while the yellow indicates areas under evacuation warnings. The blue areas are under advisories.
Genasys Protect
The red shows areas under evacuation orders, while the yellow indicates areas under evacuation warnings. The blue areas are under advisories.

The map above shows areas under evacuation orders in red and evacuation warnings in yellow. The blue indicates communities that are under an advisory.

An overnight shelter opened at Cuyamaca College's gymnasium on Friday for anyone affected by the Border 2 Fire, the American Red Cross Southern California Region said.

The shelter — located at 900 Rancho San Diego Pkwy, El Cajon, CA 92019 — offers evacuees a safe place to stay, meals and additional support, according to the nonprofit. Animal care partners are also there to help care for small animals.

Authorities urged residents to download the Genasys app to stay informed on evacuations.

Dozens of RVs and campers were parked at the Rancho San Diego Town Center after being evacuated from Thousand Trails Pio Pico RV Resort early Friday morning. NBC 7's Dana Williams spoke to some evacuees.

Check back here for updates on this breaking news story — Ed.

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