Crews have stopped the forward march of a fire across the street from Fashion Valley mall, but evacuations remained in place early Tuesday afternoon. Neighborhoods north of Friars and west of state Route 163 were placed under an evacuation order or warning as the fire, reported around noon, started to spread, according to authorities. Police closed off roads in the area, including SR-163 off ramps to Friars and a stretch of Friars west of the freeway. San Diego Fire-Rescue officials said on X they were making good progress on the fire, and a spokesperson said it appeared to have reached about 2 or 3 acres. Helicopters dropped water as flames moved uphill toward a large apartment complex. Police and firefighters were asking people to leave. The flames were also headed west along Friars Road. A fire in Mission Valley burns on Tuesday, Jan., 21, 2025. (Jim Grant / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)Crews are battling a fast moving fire near Fashion Valley mall Tuesday. (Caleb Lunetta/San Diego Union-Tribune) A San Diego Sheriff’s helicopter lands on Friars Road near where a fire had broken out on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Firefighters work to contain a fire close to apartments on Friars Road on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025 in San Diego, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Firefighters work to contain a fire. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)Show Caption1 of 5A fire in Mission Valley burns on Tuesday, Jan., 21, 2025. (Jim Grant / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)Expand The Genesys app used to notify people of evacuation areas indicated that the evacuation area was roughly from the freeway west to Via Las Cumbres, and from Friars Road as far north as Genesee Avenue. Snapdragon Stadium was being used as a temporary evacuation point. Evacuation warnings for a larger swath have been canceled. The San Diego County Office of Education evacuated its Linda Vista campus and the Linda Vista Innovation Center. Officials later posted on X that its Linda Vista locations would remain closed Tuesday and reopen for regular business hours Wednesday. The San Diego Humane Society was at one point under evacuation warning and on “high alert” but did not evacuate, spokesperson Nina Thompson said.