Residents in North County kept a nervous eye on a brush fire as it burned on Camp Pendleton Saturday afternoon, with the county on high alert for wildfire danger this weekend. A military base spokesman reported that 1,000 acres have burned, and residents of the base's O'Neill Heights housing have been ordered to evacuate. The military evacuated a total of 230 base residents and 30 patients from the Naval Hospital. Updates continue from the official Twitter account of Marine Corps Camp Base Pendleton.
The blaze, dubbed the De Luz fire, was reported around 1 p.m., and base fire crews were dispatched to the area, Camp Pendleton Public Affairs Lt. Ryan Finnegan said.
Finnegan did not know the cause of the fire.
Cal Fire sent six air tankers, and helicopters and engines to assist. However, the incident is not under the agency's command, Batallion Chief Nick Schuler said.
San Diego valleys and mountains are under increased fire danger amid dry and windy conditions cause by seasonal Santa Ana winds and low relative humidity. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning through Sunday evening for the county's valleys and mountains.
Santa Ana winds contributed to the county's 2003 and 2007 wildfires.
