Cocos Fire Will Likely Be Fully Contained by Day's End

The nearly 2,000-acre Cocos Fire that leveled 36 homes and one business in the San Marcos area was 98 percent contained this morning and authorities said full containment was likely by the end of the day.

The fire broke out near Cocos Drive, south of Highway 78, about 4 p.m. Wednesday amid gusty winds, triple-digit heat and extremely dry ground cover, according to Cal Fire, which had about 100 fire personnel assigned to the incident as of this morning.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

The fire forced thousands of North County residents from their homes but no one was injured. All evacuation orders were rescinded by Sunday.

Among the structures destroyed in the blaze were 25 structures at the Harmony Grove Spiritual Association, a century-old church retreat, according to fire and county officials.

The fire's cost to date was more than $5.7 million, according to Cal Fire.

—City News Service