Strong Santa Ana winds pushed a wildfire across critically dry terrain in the Bonsall area early Tuesday, charring more than 80 acres and forcing the evacuation of homes in the path of the fire, officials said. The Lilac fire — which began north of West Lilac Road just west of Interstate 15 — is burning in an area where the relative humidity is very low, giving the system more strength. Winds are blowing up to 21 mph and will last well into the morning. Shortly before 10 a.m., Cal Fire reported that crews stopped the fire’s forward spread. By 7:30 a.m., the fire was 10% contained. The blaze is one of three that broke out in the area before dawn. Firefighters stopped the advancement of the other two. Around 2,900 people were in areas affected by evacuation warnings and orders early Tuesday. The Lilac fire continues to spread in a west-southwest direction in a region that has had virtually no rain since last spring, but the movement has slowed. Some structures have been damaged although the extent of the loss is unclear, Cal Fire officials said. “Firefighters are making good progress on the fire. The fire activity has decreased significantly,” Cal Fire reported on X around 7:30 a.m. The wildfire is burning not far from where another fire — also known as Lilac — broke out in December 2017 and charred more than 4,100 acres of land. The fires come as the region is under a red flag warning as strong Santa Ana winds and bone-dry conditions combine to heighten fire risks. San Diego Gas & Electric has turned off power to 14,000 customers to help reduce the chances that additional fires will pop up. Firefighters battled a brush fire in the Bonsall area early Tuesday that prompted evacuations and reportedly damaged some structures. (OnSceneTV) There were around 150 firefighters assigned to the blaze, with two night-flying helicopters making water drops. “We were having pretty strong gusts in the beginning of the fire,” Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette said. He said SDG&E’s weather map showed peak gusts of 21 mph reported in the Fallbrook area, with sustained winds of around 7 mph around 5 a.m. Sheriff’s deputies worked to get evacuation warnings to Bonsall residents using patrol cars and a sheriff’s helicopter to put out the distinctive “hi-low” sirens. Residents also were notified by reverse 911 calls and by deputies going door to door, said sheriff’s Lt. Noah Zarnow. The evacuation area is west of Interstate 15, south of state Route 76 and east of Vessels Ranch Road, Zarnow said. The rural area has homes on large lots within steep and rocky terrain. Residents were directed to an evacuation center at the Castle Creek Country Club in Escondido. Residents in about 50 vehicles have showed up there. Evacuees with large animals were told to take them to the Del Mar Horsepark, 14550 El Camino Real, Del Mar; or to CRC Ranch, 43101 Anza Road, in Temecula. Cal Fire investigators are on scene and are trying to determine what might have started the fires. The first fire was reported shortly after 12:15 a.m. west of I-15 and north of Highway 76. The Pala fire burned around 16 acres before its forward rate of progress was halted. Residents in the area were briefly told to evacuate before the order was lifted. The Lilac fire was reported about a half hour later. A third, dubbed the Riverview fire, was reported near Santa Margarita Drive in Fallbrook shortly after 1:20 a.m. It charred about an acre before crews were able to halt its spread, officials said. The fires are affecting traffic in the area. State Route 76 at Old Highway 395 was closed to traffic. Another closure was reported on Old Highway 395 at the Lilac Bridge, a California Highway Patrol dispatcher said. At one point early Tuesday, Interstate 15 was briefly closed, but all lanes reopened as of 4:45 a.m. About 20 vehicles were waiting in the parking lot at the Castle Creek Country Club evacuation center when Red Cross volunteers arrived at 3 a.m., said volunteer Nat Giraud. Volunteers handed out coffee and snacks to the people huddled in their cars to stay warm. Most people had left by 8:30 a.m. The sky was clear blue with no sign of smoke, and a few club regulars were playing pickleball. Fire crews were battling a fire in the Bonsall area that was threatening homes early Tuesday morning. (OnScene.TV) Staff writer Phil Diehl contributed to this report.