A wildfire that surged amid high heat and dry winds in drought conditions brought evacuation orders for more than 20,000 homes in and around San Diego, but all residents have been told they could return home just a few hours later as cooler, calmer darkness fell.
Another fire 400 kilometres to the north in Santa Barbara County was also lying down after dark. All but a handful of the evacuation orders that had affected some 1,200 homes and businesses earlier in the day were called off.
No damaged homes or injuries were reported in either fire. But the rugged terrain and unseasonably warm temperatures made firefighting difficult, creating some scary moments.
"At the point the fire is right now, we believe we have a pretty good handle on it," San Diego Fire Chief Javier Mainar said yesterday. "We hope to do some more work through the night and into tomorrow, but I think the largest part of the emergency has passed."
The flames that erupted in the fire-prone Rancho Bernardo area of San Diego quickly grew to 280 hectares, driven by hot, dry Santa Ana winds.
By late afternoon, the flames ripped through canyons to approach expensive homes and new subdivisions on the ridges. It spread to Rancho Santa Fe, one of the wealthiest US communities, known for its multimillion-dollar homes, golfing and horseback riding.
Black and grey smoke billowed over northern San Diego, filled with whirling ash and embers that created small spot fires. Flames crept within yards of some homes before firefighters doused them.
On one road, people on bicycles and skateboards stopped to watch as a plane dumped water on flames 800 meters away. At least two high schools and three elementary schools were evacuated.
The city of San Diego issued between 16,000 and 17,000 evacuation orders, according to San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore, including 300 that Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman described as mandatory. Gore said the sheriff's department issued an additional 5,000 evacuation orders outside city limits.
As night fell the evacuations were called off for city residents, and all county residents were told they could safely return by about 9 pm.
Meanwhile, in the Santa Barbara County community of Lompoc, the wildfire there also grew to about 280 hectares. There were downed power lines and heavy brush in the area, said David Sadecki of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Months of drought have left much of the landscape ready to burn. Downtown Los Angeles has recorded just 15.44 centimetres of precipitation with little time left in the July 1-June 30 rain year. That's less than half its annual average rainfall.
"Fire season last year never really ended in Southern California," said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. His agency has responded to more than 1,350 fires since Jan 1, compared with an average of 700 by this time of year.
