A wildfire continued to blacken at least 1,000 acres in a rural area near Golden Acorn Casino today, with all evacuations downgraded to warnings as ground and airborne crews worked to subdue the flames.
The blaze erupted at about 1 p.m. Tuesday off the 37000 block of Tusil Road, north of Interstate 8 and west of Ribbonwood Road in Boulevard, according to Cal Fire.
Within two hours, the flames, which were spreading over the grounds of Campo Indian Reservation, had charred about 30 acres and were moving toward I-8, the state agency reported.
As of shortly before 7 p.m., the burn area had grown to roughly 550 acres, Cal Fire advised. By then, crews had gotten the perimeter of the blaze about 10% surrounded by firebreaks, said Mike Cornette, a fire captain with the state agency.
The agency upped the fire's acreage to 1,000 acres as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, with 25% containment.
Sheriff's deputies cleared people out of homes in neighborhoods near the burn area, officials said. A temporary shelter for the displaced was available at the casino at 1800 Golden Acorn Way, just south of the freeway and a mile or so east of the fire.
For a time, the flames were an imminent threat to about 15 homes, according to Cal Fire. By late afternoon, the blaze had jumped the freeway to the south in a few spots and had damaged one outbuilding and a vehicle, but no residences were harmed, Cornette said.
No injuries were reported, and it was unclear how many members of surrounding communities were affected by the massive blaze, but most residents were allowed back to their homes.
The CHP said I-8 was shut down in both directions near the burn zone, but as of Wednesday morning, at least one lane in each direction has reopened to traffic. The No. 2 lane in both directions will remain closed until further notice.
The westbound No. 2 lane closure begins just west of Crestwood Road and is about one mile in length. The eastbound No. 2 lane is closed from Buckman Springs Road and ends about a half mile east of Buckman, the agency added.
