A suburban wildfire that charred 23 acres near Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, forcing thousands of people from their homes as ground and airborne crews worked to quell the flames, is 50% contained as of Wednesday morning.
No structures were damaged. Two firefighters were admitted to the hospital Tuesday due to heat exhaustion, but have been released and are at home recovering.
The fire erupted at about 3 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Carmel Valley Road and Del Mar Scenic Parkway, at the site of a roughly 1-acre vegetation blaze that crews had subdued earlier in the day, according to police and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.
As firefighters battled the reignited blaze, authorities evacuated some 2,500 people out of homes east of North Torrey Pines Road, north of Carmel Valley Road, south of Del Mar Heights Road and west of Interstate 5. Roughly 1,500 other residents were advised to prepare to clear out of their neighborhoods on short notice.
A temporary shelter for the displaced was in operation in the late afternoon Tuesday at Del Mar Fairgrounds.
Evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday evening and residents were allowed to return home.
Road closures in the Del Mar Heights area were also lifted Tuesday night.
As of 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, ground crews and personnel aboard an air tanker and three water-dropping helicopters had halted the spread of the fire at an estimated 19 acres, according to SDFD public affairs.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.