Evacuation orders that were issued have expanded due to a growing vegetation fire that broke out in the Bonsall area of San Diego County Tuesday.
The Lilac Fire has grown to 80 acres and was 10% contained as of 8 a.m., according to Cal Fire.
#LilacFire [update] Firefighters are making good progress on the fire. The fire activity has decreased significantly. The fire is still approximately 80 acres and is now 10% contained.
For the most current incident information visit:https://t.co/XPwABKiOmE
— CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) January 21, 2025
Two structures have reportedly been destroyed by the fire, which was reported around 1:20 a.m. near Old Highway 395 and Lilac Rd., according to San Diego County Fire.
Evacuation orders were issued for nearby areas around 1:33 a.m. An interactive map with updated emergency evacuation information is available here.
A temporary evacuation point is at Castle Creek Country Club, located at 8797 Circle R Dr. in Escondido.
There are 66 personnel assigned to the fire, including six engines, two crews and one water tender, officials said.
The #LilacFire in San Diego County started overnight firefighters continue to work to contain it this morning. See live conditions from ALERTCalifornia’s San Marcos Peak N camera at https://t.co/4OzabM6rRI and look to @CALFIRESANDIEGO for incident updates. pic.twitter.com/GKifF2G56O
— ALERTCalifornia (@ALERTCalifornia) January 21, 2025
Meanwhile, San Diego County Office of Education announced that schools in six district are closed Tuesday because of the fires, high winds, and power outages.
They are:
— Bonsall Unified School District
— Julian Union Elementary School District
— Julian Union High School District
— Mountain Empire Unified School District
— Spencer Valley School District
— Warner Unified School District
Mt. Woodson Elementary in Ramona Unified School District, Lakeside Farms Elementary, and DREAM Academy in Lakeside Union School District are also closed.
The southbound Interstate 15 off-ramp to Old Highway 395 remains closed for firefighting activity.
Additionally, evacuation warnings have also been issued in the surrounding area. Officials said that 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.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
