A wind-driven wildfire that killed one person and injured 21 others in its early hours continued raging tonight in rural southeastern San Diego County, forcing scores of evacuations and causing property damage.
By early evening, crews had gotten the roughly 22,000-acre burn area roughly 5 percent surrounded, according to the state Department of Forestry, or
Cal Fire.
At that point, the Harris fire was threatening Barrett Junction, the Barrett Lake area, Deerhorn Valley, Dulzura, Engineer Springs, Jamul, Lawson Valley, Lyons Valley, Otay Mountain and Potrero.
Since it began spreading over the weekend, the blaze has damaged or destroyed structures in Tecate, Dulzura and Barrett Junction. Details on the property losses were not available, officials said this afternoon.
The wildfire, the only one in Southern California to result in a fatality, erupted near Harris Ranch and Potrero Valley roads about 9:30 a.m. yesterday, as powerful Santa Ana wind whipped across the region.
Unrelentingly high winds -- in some spots, mountaintop gusts hit 100 mph --periodically grounded firefighting aircraft this morning, adding to the difficulty of trying to make headway against the inferno.
Helicopters were able to begin aiding in the firefight by midday, but conditions remained too hazardous for fixed-wing aircraft.
This morning, residents living on Mother Grundy Truck Trail and Deer Horn Valley were evacuated to Steele Canyon High School, which was already filled with people who were cleared out of their homes yesterday.
When the campus reached capacity, evacuees were sent to Santana High School in Santee.
Residents in Coyote Holler were sent east to Campo. Mandatory evacuation notices were also sent to areas north of Lake Wohlford.
Areas near Honey Springs and Lyons Valley roads and all areas east toward Cleveland National Forest were evacuated about 9:30 a.m.
In Potrero, sheriff's deputies ordered evacuations along Highway 94 for residents in Barrett Junction, Engineer Springs, Dulzura and all points between. Potrero, Tecate and parts of Deerhorn Valley were also evacuated.
No information was released about the person who died. Five firefighters and 16 civilians suffered burns and other injuries, officials said.
Authorities said the injured crew members got trapped in a ``burn- over.'' They were overcome by towering flames that shot over their heads, apparently while defending a structure, but a dispatcher said their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
State Route 94 was closed between Otay Lakes Road and Forest Gate Road this morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.
More than 300 firefighters were assigned to the blaze, which had cost an estimated $1.3 million to battle by this evening, Cal Fire reported.
