Jan 21, 2025
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — All evacuations have been lifted for the Lilac Fire that broke out just south of Pala Mesa overnight into Tuesday. The fire was first reported just before 1 a.m. in the area of West Lilac Road and Old Highway 395. As of 4:10 p.m., the fire was 85 acres and 50% contained. At 7 a.m., the North County Fire Protection District said a total of 86 residents have been displaced by the evacuation orders and at least two structures have been damaged. The extent of damage to the structures is unknown at this time. As of 8:06 p.m., the following roads will remain closed until further notice, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department: Old Highway 395 will remain closed between Dulin Road (at the Rancho Monserate Country Club) and West Lilac Road; West Lilac Road between Old Highway 395 and Bonsall Elementary School will also be closed except for residents with proper identification. "Please drive carefully, as firefighters will continue to work in the area to mitigate the hazards and strengthen control lines. Dust and noise will be present throughout the day and night. Smoke may be seen from areas where the fire is still burning, but there is no threat to the public. We want to thank the public for their cooperation," SDSO said. Margaret Morand and her husband, Mike, told FOX 5/KUSI they were startled awake around 1:15 a.m. by the sound of helicopters and the sight of embers flying through the air. “It was like a whirlwind of embers taller than a tree blowing through here,” said Morand, who has lived in her home for nearly 20 years. The fire raced up the hillside, fueled by bone-dry conditions, heading directly toward their home. “We really thought we were not going to have a house to come back to,” Morand said. Nearby residents at the Rancho Monserate Mobile Home Park also prepared to evacuate. “So we tried to grab things. It was a little scary, yeah,” said Cheryl Clinite. For some, the situation brought back scary memories. Rosemarie Twining remembered a devastating wildfire in December 2017 that destroyed more than 70 homes in the same park. “You have palm trees down there. The embers of the palm trees are so ferocious, they go for miles and drop somewhere,” Twining said. A temporary evacuation point operated by the Red Cross was first set up at the Castle Creek Golf Course in Escondido, but was later moved to Riverview Church and at 4980 Sweetgrass Lane in Bonsall. At 11:16 a.m., the Del Mar Racetrack posted on X/Twitter that the thoroughbred club is working with Santa Anita Park to evacuate animals at the San Luis Rey training center. A large animal shelter has also been activated for those impacted by the Lilac fire at CRC Ranch at 43101 Anza Rd. in Temecula. Due to the evacuations, all schools in the Bonsall Unified School District have been closed Tuesday. Cal Trans said in an update on X around 6:45 a.m. that the southbound off-ramp to Old Highway 395 has also closed for the firefighting activity. Road closures are also in place along Old Highway 395 from Dulin Road to West Lilac Road, and along Camino del Ray at West Lilac Road. The Lilac Fire was one of several facing fire crews in the area of Bonsall and Fallbrook. The second biggest, the Pala Fire, burned through about 17 acres in the area of Interstate 15 southbound and Stewart Canyon Road. Forward progress on that fire has been halted. “We always have wind, and where those fires started, there were no power lines. A fire has to be ignited somehow,” Twining said. The cause of the fires remains under investigation, and Twining believes the fires are suspicious. As investigators try to determine the cause, Morand had a heartwarming message for the firefighters who saved her home. “I don’t even have words—just so grateful and amazed,” she said. The fires come as much of the county's inland areas are under yet another Red Flag Warning this month for critical fire danger, given strong Santa Ana winds, low relative humidity and acute drought conditions. Overnight, some parts of the county saw peak wind gusts hit speeds of about 40 miles per hour to 102 miles per hour in isolated, wind-prone areas, according to the National Weather Service. In the area just east of where the Lilac Fire broke out, peak wind gusts recorded Monday ranged from about 28 miles per hour to upwards of 63 miles per hour, per NWS. Below: FOX 5/KUSI video on what Red Flag Warnings mean. San Diego Gas & Electric placed more than 14,000 customers in the region's backcountry and exurbs under public safety power shutoffs Monday afternoon as the Santa Ana wind event set in — just days after power had been restored following an earlier round of power outages. The utility company says shutoffs could continue through Friday at 5 p.m., while the Red Flag Warning is due to expire at 10 p.m. Tuesday. During that time, an additional 69,000 customers may also see interruptions to their electric service. One couple, Bob and Lisa, who evacuated due to the Lilac Fire said they had already begun preparing to leave by the time fire crews came knocking on their door. "We were about 75 feet from the top of a hill … We could see orange over the back side of the hill and 100-foot high flames," Bob said. Bob noted this is not their first time evacuating their home due to a wildfire, but this one appeared to come closer than ever before. "This one, I think went right over the house," he said. "We're waiting to find out if it's still standing." This is a developing story. Check back for updates. FOX 5/KUSI's Tony Shin contributed to this report.
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