Border 2 Fire Burns Over 6600 Acres

SAN DIEGO, CA — The Border 2 Fire was 40% contained Sunday, up from 10% earlier in the day, with the National Weather Service's forecast of rain before sunrise prompting optimism from Cal Fire that it "should mitigate fire activity, helping fire crews to continue strengthening containment lines."

"Firefighters have made great progress slowing the spread of the fire," according to a statement from Cal Fire issued Saturday. "Dozers, hand crews and engine companies are working on the ground to contain the fire, while helicopters are dropping water on hot spots on the interior of the fire perimeter."

The blaze, which erupted just west of Doghouse Junction in the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area Thursday afternoon, has blackened 6,625 acres over some 10 square miles of remote terrain a few miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border, Cal Fire reported Saturday.

As of Saturday night, 2,169 structures were threatened, but none were damaged or destroyed, according to Cal Fire. There have also been no injuries reported.

Some 2,413 personnel have been assigned to the fire, along with 145 engines and 17 helicopters, Cal Fire reported.

The following road closures remain in place:
-- Otay Lakes Road at Wuest Road;
-- Otay Lakes Road just west of Pio Pico RV Park.
Otay Lakes Road at state Route 94 is only open to residents with proper identification to show law enforcement.

The following road closures were lifted:
-- State Route 94 in both directions from Honey Springs Road to state Route 188 and;
-- Alta Road near Otay Mesa Road.

All evacuation warnings were lifted on Sunday due to improved containment. The evacuation order will remain in place until further notice and will be reassessed as fire and weather conditions change, according to the sheriff's office.

Evacuation shelters and animal evacuation shelters for small animals were in place at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway El Cajon at Cuyamaca College and 5821 Sweetwater Road in Bonita for large animals.

Also, due to safety and air quality concerns posed by the fire, the San Diego County Office of Education on Friday closed the following elementary schools: Camarena, Eastlake, Liberty, Marshall, Olympic View, Salt Creek and Wolf Canyon.

Other campuses shut down for the day were Eastlake High School, Eastlake Middle School, Olympian High School, East Hills Academy, High Tech High Chula Vista and Arroyo Vista Charter School.

All other Chula Vista Elementary School District schools were open but on a "rainy day schedule" due to potential hazards from the large pall of smoke in the air over the southern reaches of the county, according to an announcement by the county office.

Assisting in the effort were the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, Bureau of Land Management, San Diego County Office of Emergency Services, Chula Vista Fire Department, Chula Vista Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, San Diego Fire Department, Red Cross, San Diego Gas and Electric, Cal OES, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geologic Survey and Caltrans.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.