Fire crews using helicopters quickly doused a brush fire that started shortly before 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in a riverbed near the Carlton Oaks Country Club in Santee.
The fire off of Carlton Oaks Drive near Carlton Hills Boulevard burned about 5 acres along the San Diego River bed.
Santee and Lakeside firefighters were helped by Cal Fire crews, and they had the flames knocked down by 5 p.m. Two helicopters, two air tankers and a plane worked the fire, along with several fire engines.
The blaze burned through a wooden fence at a nearby condominium complex, according to 10News, a KPBS media partner. Residents there were told to shelter in place, as were other residents in the area.
When the fire broke out, employees at the Carlton Oaks Country Club quickly got golfers off the course and closed the parking lot. The course's sprinklers also were turned on in case the flames reached the course.
An employee at the course's Oaks Bar and Grill said the restaurant was closed, open only to lodge guests and workers. They sheltered in place while fire crews worked to squelch the blaze.
Cal Fire beefed up its resources Tuesday because of the hot and windy weather conditions in San Diego County.
