What to Know: Lilac FireSize: 85 acres and 50% contained as of 4 p.m.Evacuations: All evacuation orders and warnings were lifted Tuesday night. An interactive map with updated emergency evacuation information is available here.Closures: The Bonsall Unified School District announced all schools would be closed on Tuesday. A second fire in the Pala area burned nearly 17 acres before it was halted Authorities on Tuesday night lifted all evacuation orders and warnings for a brush fire that started overnight and was threatening structures in the Bonsall area. The blaze — dubbed the Lilac Fire — was reported at around 1:20 a.m. near Old Highway 395 and Lilac Road, according to Cal Fire San Diego. It’s the same area where a 2017 wildfire burned down more than a hundred homes. #UPDATE @SDSheriff has lifted all EVACUATION ORDERS and WARNINGS for the #LilacFire due to improved containment.A reminder: Old Highway 395 will remain closed between Dulin Road (at the Rancho Monserate Country Club) and West Lilac Road until further notice. West Lilac Road… pic.twitter.com/1649BduocG— San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) January 22, 2025 Within minutes, San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies drove through nearby neighborhoods blaring a “Hi-Lo” alarm, warning residents of the need to evacuate immediately. Officials said the fire is a “potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.” A temporary evacuation point was originally set up at Castle Creek Country Club but was later moved to Riverview Evangelical Free Church (3980 Sweetgrass Ln, Bonsall). All large animals could be taken to California Ranch Corp Ranch in Temecula. The fire had scorched 30 acres within an hour. By 6 a.m., the fire had grown to 85 acres and had a moderate rate of spread. Crews had the fire 50% contained by 4:15 p.m. #LilacFire [update] The fire remains 85 acres and is now 50% contained. pic.twitter.com/zDlA2Rgcln — CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) January 22, 2025 Due to improved containment, the sheriff’s department said all evacuation orders and warnings were lifted around 8 p.m. Firefighters were expected to work in the area throughout the night to strengthen control lines. “Smoke may be seen from areas where the fire is still burning, but there is no threat to the public,” SDSO said. If you own large animals and had to evacuate your home/property due to the #LilacFire or any of the fires in the Fallbrook/Bonsall area, you can take them to:▪️CRC Ranch 🐎43101 Anza Road, Temecula@CALFIRESANDIEGO @SDSheriff @SDSOFallbrook @NorthCountyFire @AlertSanDiegoCo pic.twitter.com/7yS2rIvP6d— San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) January 21, 2025 There were more than 150 personnel assigned to the fire, including six engines, night flying helicopters and one water tender, officials said. “These conditions, as we’ve seen over the past couple of weeks, it’s a recipe for extreme fire behavior. We haven’t had any measurable rainfall this rainy season, so with low moisture in the surrounding vegetation and low humidity and increased wind speeds, that is all the ingredients needed for rapid fire growth,” said Cal Fire Capt. Robert Johnson. The National Weather Service said the winds in the area have mostly been gusting to around 20 mph with the relative humidity below 10%. Cal Fire said there were reports of damaged structures. It is unclear what those structures are. Johnson said crews from multiple fire departments across the state were helping in the firefight. “We mobilized equipment from all over the state, from all over the country, from Canada and Mexico,” Johnson said. “We have a Cal Fire mobilization base in Beaumont with a lot of resources staged, so we were able to pull those resources to those areas and bring them down to San Diego.” Tuesday’s fire started near the burn scar area of the 2017 fire of the same name. That Lilac Fire scorched 4,100 acres within 24 hours, destroyed more than 100 homes, injured two people and killed dozens of horses. “We’re just coming out of it from 2017, so it’s very surreal,” said Marci Grihavala, who lost her home in the 2017 Lilac Fire. “But I felt something last night. The winds were just crazy, the sound, and I couldn’t sleep.” School closures Due to the evacuations, the Bonsall Unified School District announced all schools would close on Tuesday. Road closures Some roads have closed due to the fire, and residents should expect some delays. Old Highway 395 between Dulin Road and West Lilac Road is closed West Lilac Road between Old Highway 395 and Bonsall Elementary School is closed except for residents with proper identification The Pala Fire Meanwhile, a second fire, this one in the Pala area, had burned nearly 17 acres, but, according to Cal Fire, the “forward rate of progress” of that blaze had been stopped. Although evacuations prompted by that fire had also been ordered, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in an X post that the order had been lifted. The fire was reported at around 2:15 a.m. Tuesday west of Interstate 15 near Pala Mesa in a rural part of San Diego County, according to Cal Fire. By 11 a.m. the fire was 100% contained. #PalaFire [final] Good news! The fire remains 17 acres and is now 100% contained.— CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) January 21, 2025 Fire officials said that “[numerous] firefighting air tankers from throughout the state are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow.” This is a developing story. We’ll have updates as soon as they come in.