A wildfire continued to blacken at least 1,000 acres in a rural area near Golden Acorn Casino Wednesday, with all evacuations downgraded to warnings as ground and airborne crews worked to subdue the flames.
As of late Wednesday morning, the burn zone of the non-injury blaze west of Ribbonwood Road was about 25% surrounded by firebreaks, according to Cal Fire. By then, little active combustion was ongoing within the charred footprint of the blaze, said Mike Cornette, a fire captain with the state agency.
The blaze erupted at about 1 p.m. Tuesday off the 37000 block of Tusil Road, north of Interstate 8 and west of Ribbonwood Road in Boulevard, according to Cal Fire.
Within two hours, the flames, which were spreading over the grounds of Campo Indian Reservation, had charred about 30 acres and were moving toward I-8, the state agency reported.
Within two hours, the fast-moving flames had charred several dozen acres on the grounds of Campo Indian Reservation and were moving to the south toward the freeway, the state agency reported. The California Highway Patrol shut down a stretch of the regional route in the area as ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters battled the blaze.
For a time, the flames were an imminent threat to about 15 homes, according to Cal Fire. By late afternoon Tuesday, the blaze had jumped I-8 in a few spots and had damaged one outbuilding and a vehicle, Cornette said.
Sheriff's deputies cleared people out of residences on both sides of the freeway in the area of Old Highway 80, officials said. A temporary shelter for the displaced was available at the casino at 1800 Golden Acorn Way, a mile or so east of the fire.
As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, some of the residents who had to vacate their homes due to the blaze had been allowed back into their neighborhoods, but many of the evacuation orders remained in effect, officials said.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
The CHP said I-8 was shut down in both directions near the burn zone, but as of Wednesday morning, at least one lane in each direction has reopened to traffic. The No. 2 lane in both directions will remain closed until further notice.
The westbound No. 2 lane closure begins just west of Crestwood Road and is about one mile in length. The eastbound No. 2 lane is closed from Buckman Springs Road and ends about a half mile east of Buckman, the agency added.
