A brush fire sparked by a car crash in the Pala area was 90 percent contained today, and firefighters expected to have full control over the blaze by Thursday evening.
The Pala Fire broke out around 10:25 a.m. Monday when a Toyota Camry crashed into a pole and caught fire near the intersection of Pala Temecula and Moro roads. It was 90 percent contained as of 7:30 this morning, according to Cal Fire.
Full control is expected by 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the agency.
Cal Fire reported earlier this week that the fire had scorched up to 350 acres, but that number was reduced Tuesday evening to 223 acres.
"The reduction in acreage is due to more detailed mapping," Cal Fire spokeswoman Roxanne Provaznik said.
One firefighter suffered a minor injury while fighting the blaze. No structures have burned.
Residents in the area were told to evacuate Monday but that order was lifted Tuesday morning.
At the height of the incident, roughly 600 firefighters were battling the fire, along with three helicopters, two bulldozers and five water tenders, according to Cal Fire.
The cost of fighting the blaze has risen to more than $1.4 million, Provaznik said.
