Fire crews quickly boxed in a fierce fire that led hundreds of people to flee their Rancho Bernardo homes Wednesday as dry brush, low humidity and Santa Ana winds combined to create high fire danger that’s keeping San Diego County on edge. The region remains under a red-flag warning with bone-dry conditions, prompting San Diego Fire-Rescue officials to order a massive response after the blaze in the area of Bernardo Center Drive and Camino del Norte was discovered around 9 a.m. Officials initially worried it could reach 100 acres, but a force of around 200 firefighters, aided by aerial support, were able to keep its footprint at about 7 acres. A helicopter drops water as firefighters work to contain a brushfire on a hillside in Rancho Bernardo on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) The Center fire is one of a string of blazes that firefighters have battled in recent days, as a series of Santa Ana winds blew through the county. And the fire weather will continue: A red-flag warning issued by the National Weather Service remains in effect through 8 p.m. Thursday for the inland valley and mountain communities. The weather service says the Santa Anas will greatly strengthen on Thursday, gusting to 70 mph in the mountains and 40 mph or more along Interstate 8 east of Alpine. High wind conditions and a lack of rain have combined to raise the risk of downed power lines igniting a wildfire, which has prompted San Diego Gas & Electric again to shut off electricity in specific areas. As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, some 8,000 SDG&E customers were without power across the county, and the utility had warned that another 75,000 could see their electricity cut if conditions worsen. Firefighters watch from Corte Raposo as fellow firefighters work to contain a brushfire on a hillside in Rancho Bernardo on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) The gusty winds should be gone by Friday, and forecasters say a low pressure system might drop a quarter-inch of rain at or near the coast and a half-inch to full inch of rain in the mountains over the weekend. With the danger of fast-moving wildfires atop everyone’s minds, firefighters are pouncing on any reported fires. And on Wednesday, shortly after the fire erupted in Rancho Bernardo, dozens of firefighters were quickly on-site, as three helicopters dropped water and four air tankers dumped red retardant. The fire chewed through thick vegetation growing on a hill along Camino del Norte, not far west of Interstate 15. The busy thoroughfare lines the north end of the hill, but the rest is surrounded by homes. A group of firefighters work to make a fire break in an effort to contain a brushfire on a hillside above Camino Del Norte in Rancho Bernardo on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) Authorities ordered evacuations for neighborhoods west of Interstate 15 and south of Camino del Norte, and a temporary evacuation point was set up at a nearby shopping center. Rolling Hills Elementary School students and RB Kinder Care were both evacuated. Several other neighborhoods were warned they too might need to flee. During that time of day, about 8,200 people live and work in the areas ordered and warned to evacuate. Area resident Wendy Hoke didn’t hesitate when she saw smoke. She grabbed her 14-year-old son and the family dog and fled. “I have been in enough evacuations and fires in California that I just don’t wait,” she said. She was among several residents who made their way to a nearby shopping center parking lot where evacuees had been directed. CalFire engineer Nima Valleiy, from CalFire San Diego Crew 1, directs a group of firefighters as they work to make a fire break in an effort to contain a brushfire on a hillside above Camino Del Norte in Rancho Bernardo on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) As soon as Julie Hebron and her husband saw smoke from their Paseo Montanoso home, they started packing. Their street wraps around the south side of the hill whose north flank the blaze was burning. Although they ended up staying put, the fire came very close. “It was scary,” she said. “But the response was really quick.” A helicopter makes a low pass while doing water drops as firefighters work to contain a brushfire on a hillside in Rancho Bernardo on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) One person was taken to a hospital to be treated for burn injuries. Fire investigators will try to determine the cause of the blaze. Staff writers Maura Fox, Alex Riggins, Rob Nikolewski, Gary Robbins and Jemma Stephenson contributed to this report.