{"id":400558,"date":"2026-07-16T09:33:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T09:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/400558\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T09:33:21","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T09:33:21","slug":"brush-fire-near-boulevard-closes-parts-of-i-8-and-prompts-evacuation-orders-nbc-7-san-diego","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/400558\/","title":{"rendered":"Brush fire near Boulevard closes parts of I-8 and prompts evacuation orders \u2013 NBC 7 San Diego"},"content":{"rendered":"

What to KnowAcres burned: 1,201Containment: 0%Road closures: The right lanes of the I-8 in both directions are closed at Ribbonwood and Crestwood, leaving the left lanes open. Imperial Highway near Ocotillo has been closed.Evacuation orders are underway here<\/a>Evacuation point: The Golden Acorn Casino at 1800 Golden Acorn WaySome SDG&E customers in the area have lost power<\/p>\n

A brush fire in the southeast San Diego County community of Boulevard prompted evacuation orders and a closure of Interstate 8 amid a heat wave on Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n

The Thorn Fire caused a closure of the I-8 in both directions at Ribbonwood and Crestwood for several hours, but by about 10 p.m., the left lanes on both sides were reopened.<\/p>\n

Drivers are asked to avoid the area and can take the alternate route of Old Highway 80 and state Route 94.<\/p>\n

Caltrans also closed Imperial Highway to prevent further traffic from going up the mountain and towards the flames, according to the California Highway Patrol.<\/p>\n

Evacuations of nearby homes were in effect, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said. For a map of the evacuated areas, click here<\/a>. The Golden Acorn Casino is the evacuation point where Red Cross volunteers have opened up an overnight shelter, officials said.<\/p>\n

If you live in Campo, be aware of increased law enforcement and firefighting activity. A brush fire is burning near Buckthorn Trail and Old Highway 80. Interstate 8 in that area is closed in both directions until further notice.<\/p>\n

An EVACUATION ORDER is in place for the shaded\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/E7IPaVmLxN<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) July 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Thorn Fire quickly grew to 50 acres after starting as a structure fire that spread into vegetation, according to Cal Fire. <\/p>\n

By about 5 p.m. the flames jumped over the I-8 toward Campo and were immediately threatening structures. At about 8 p.m., fire officials said the flames were continuing to burn east past Ribbonwood Road toward McCain Valley Road. A firefight is expected overnight with the help of four night flying helicopters, Cal Fire said.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe flames burning near Boulevard jumped the I-8 and have started heading towards Campo, sending huge plumes of smoke into the air. NBC 7’s Omari Fleming was live from near the fire with the latest.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

By nightfall, much of the smoke was visibly dissipating, according to UC San Diego’s AlertCalifornia wildfire cameras.<\/p>\n

The fire started near 2500 Buckthorn Trail in Boulevard, burning at a moderate rate of spread in heavy fuels. At the height of the fire, footage from SkyRanger 7 showed huge plumes of black and white smoke rising into the air from the Thorn Fire.<\/p>\n

Firefighters could be seen attacking the flames on the ground and with aerial support.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA brush fire in the far southeast San Diego County community of Boulevard set off evacuation warnings and a closure of Interstate 8 amid a heat wave on Wednesday afternoon. NBC 7 has more.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Around 3:45 p.m. about 130 San Diego Gas and Electric customers in the area near Live Oak Springs lost power, according to the SDG&E outage website<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District issued an active smoke advisory for those around Live Oak Springs, Boulevard, Tierra Del Sol and McCain Valley around 5:30 p.m. This means that the air quality levels are unhealthy for sensitive groups and may be unhealthy for all people, according to the district. The smoke is blowing east.<\/p>\n

This is a developing story and will be updated with more details.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Smoke<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tSkyRanger 7 | NBC San DiegoSkyRanger 7 | NBC San Diego<\/p>\n

Smoke fills the air from a wildfire over the I-8 near Campo, July 15, 2026.<\/p>\n

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