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Ramona wildfire 80% contained, burned 184 acres

CalFire firefighters work to clean up the final hotspots of the Bunnie Fire in Ramona, Calif. Aug. 10, 2023.
Matthew Bowler
/
KPBS
CalFire firefighters work to clean up the final hotspots of the Bunnie Fire in Ramona, August 8, 2023.

Editor's note: In a tweet published Aug. 11 at 8:43 p.m., Cal Fire announced the Bunnie Fire is now 100% contained.

Firefighters battling a 184-acre brush fire in the area of Barnett Ranch County Preserve have the blaze about 80% contained, Cal Fire said Friday.

Crews were working Friday to get lines of control around the smoldering remnants of the fire that blackened scores of open acres and forced evacuations.

The fire, which caused no reported structural damage, erupted for unknown reasons shortly before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday off San Vicente Road, about a mile south of Ramona High School, Cal Fire reported.

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With the flames spreading over hilly terrain toward rural neighborhoods, deputies cleared people out of homes closest to the burn zone, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Residences were evacuated along dozens of roadways near Wildcat Canyon Road, and people living in areas surrounding those spots were advised to be prepared to leave their neighborhoods on short notice if necessary.

Authorities established a temporary shelter for the evacuees at Olive Peirce Middle School on Hanson Lane.

By a little after 3 p.m., ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters had halted the spread of the flames, Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette said.

One firefighter was treated in the field for heat-related trauma. The blaze resulted in no other reported injuries, Cornette said.

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All evacuation orders and warnings in Ramona were lifted by Thursday.

Updated: August 14, 2023 at 8:34 AM PDT
Editor's note: In a tweet published Aug. 11 at 8:43 p.m., Cal Fire announced the Bunnie Fire is now 100% contained.
Corrected: August 11, 2023 at 4:56 PM PDT
Editor's note: A previous version of this story misstated the total acres burned as 185. The fire burned 184 acres.
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