A fire at the base of the Pendleton Camp Marine Corps in northern San Diego County caused evacuation orders early Thursday, as Santa Ana winds caused dangerous gusts. dry conditions in southern California.
Evacuation orders, which have since been lifted, affected 7,000 residents on the west side of the Fallbrook community and in some locations in Camp Pendleton, according to the base and the California Department of Fire and Forest Protection. .
Cal Fire said the gunpowder, known as Creek Fire, has a 35 percent content and burned at least 3,500 acres Thursday night.
Cal Fire San Diego via AP
The National Meteorological Service forecasts that Santa Ana winds will be moderate to local, Wednesday through Thursday at noon.
The San Diego Meteorological Office reported that the winds had reached their peak and had slowly weakened. The highest wind speed recorded in San Diego County was 71 mph.
Utility companies proactively cut off the energy of thousands of customers in specific areas to prevent fires from being ignited by fallen lines or sparks from wind-blown waste impacting electrical equipment.
Edison, in Southern California, had shut down power to more than 18,000 customers Thursday before. Nearly 6,800 San Diego Gas & Electric customers were shut down and more than 24,000 others were warned they could also lose power.
Pendleton Field stretches over more than 195 square miles of coastal and mountainous terrain.
Peter Martinez contributed to this report.