State Route 94 In Dulzura Reopens Following Brush Fires

UPDATE: 8:45 a.m., May 30, 2019:

A 10-mile stretch of state Route 94 reopened Thursday morning following a spate of brush fires that spread over rugged open terrain in the far southern reaches of San Diego County on Wednesday afternoon, forcing its closure but causing no reported structural damage or injuries.

The blazes erupted for unknown reasons east of Otay Open Space Preserve in the Dulzura area about 3 p.m., according to Cal Fire.

Authorities closed SR-94 between Barrett Lake and Otay Lakes roads while a contingent of about 100 firefighters attacked the flames by ground and aboard water- and chemical retardant-dropping aircraft, said Issac Sanchez, a fire captain with the state agency.

One lane was reopened around 7 p.m. Wednesday and drivers in small groups were being escorted through the area by the California Highway Patrol. The highway fully reopened around 5 a.m. Thursday, Cal Fire announced in a tweet, reminding drivers to be cautious around the area of the fire as firefighters will be at the scene again.

Around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, firefighters had halted the spread of the blazes, the largest of which had grown to roughly 30 acres, Sanchez said. One of the other two fires blackened about an acre, and the third a smaller patch of land.

The largest fire was 50% contained Wednesday and fully contained Thursday morning, Sanchez said.

The cause or causes of the fires remained under investigation, the spokesman said.