USFS: One Crew Member Injured Battling Hawk Fire near Alpine

UPDATE: 4:30 p.m., Nov. 27, 2020

A U.S. Forest Service firefighter was injured Friday while battling a vegetation fire that has burned 10 acres in the Cleveland National Forest near the community of Alpine.

The firefighter was taken to an area hospital for treatment, said the U.S. Forest Service's Anabele Cornejo. Other details on the firefighter's injury were unavailable.

The fire was first reported shortly after 1 p.m. on Japatul and Japatul Valley roads, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Thomas Shoots of Cal Fire said that while the fire is not contained, crews have made progress against it and are now in the "mop up" stage. "Things are holding up pretty well."

Cal Fire was assisting the U.S. Forest Service. Cornejo said the Forest Service deployed four hand crews, 18 engines, one helicopter and three water tenders to fight the blaze.

The CHP earlier reported that a large plume of smoke could be seen in the area.

There has been no reported structural damage.

The county Sheriff's Department issued an evacuation warning, but were asking area residents to shelter in place, a spokesman said.

James Brotherton, with the National Weather Service in San Diego, says strong winds remain in the forecast heading into the weekend.

"Right now the winds are still focused over Orange County, and the Inland Empire, but tonight they’re going to shift more to the East, which is more favorable for San Diego, so we’ll see the winds pick up in San Diego tonight, through tomorrow morning, with wind gusts around fifty miles per hour, especially in the canyons and along the foothills," Brotherton told KPBS.

Brotherton says the winds should die out tomorrow afternoon.

But he cautioned that San Diego isn’t out of fire danger yet. Winds will pick up again in the middle of next week, and there is no rain in the near-term forecast.