Firefighters from almost a dozen agencies made quick work halting a series of 26 fires that ignited along two freeways in rural North County on Saturday afternoon.
The fires began around 11:30 a.m. east of Mission Road near state Route 76, near Bonsall, said North County Fire Capt. John Choi. Over a three-hour period, fires were found east to Interstate 15 and north up to Rainbow Valley Boulevard, close to Temecula.
In total, the fires charred around 20 acres and traveled 12 miles. Firefighters stopped the forward rate of spread by 2:30 p.m.
Fire personnel from agencies in San Diego and Riverside counties worked together, including North County Fire Protection District, Cal Fire San Diego, and the Oceanside, Vista, Carlsbad, San Marcos, Escondido, Rancho Santa Fe and Camp Pendleton fire departments.
Firefighters credited favorable weather conditions, including higher humidity and low winds, with limiting the spread and assisting their efforts to douse the flames.
The cause of the cluster of fires, known as the Mission fire, is under investigation, Choi said. Choi did not say whether arson was a possibility.
He added that the fires should serve as a reminder that fire season has come early.
“We’re in fire season this year. It is now getting drier and only more dry,” Choi said. “This is a prime example of how easy it is to start fires.”
Choi recommends preparing for fire season, including downloading the Genasys Protect app for fire notifications, preparing a “go” bag for emergencies and securing copies of important documents like homeowner’s insurance, birth certificates and passports.