Evacuation warning lifted for brush fire in Rancho Bernardo

Firefighters have contained the fire that broke out Friday afternoon in Rancho Bernardo, and evacuation warnings were lifted as of 5:30 p.m., officials said

The brush fire started near the intersection of Camino del Norte and Bernardo Center Drive, at one time threatening an apartment building. While there were nearby homes, there were no reports of structural damage or injuries.

Assistant Fire Chief Dan Eddy told CBS8 that the fire was holding at nine acres as of 4 p.m.

Later reports by fire personnel said spread was halted at around 12 1/2 acres, according to City News Service.

The impacted area was Camino Del Norte to Dove Canyon Road, and from Bernardo Center Road to Camino San Bernardo, officials said. Roads were closed in that area during the peak of the firefight.

“We have pretty much everything we can thrown at it … I am very confident where we’re at,” Eddy said, adding the fire was one block away from the site of the Center fire in January. That blaze burned seven acres.

According to San Diego Fire Dispatch, the blaze was reported around 2:35 p.m. with crews from San Diego Fire-Rescue, including stations in Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Mountain Ranch and Mira Mesa responding. Also responding were crews from Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District and Escondido.

As of shortly after 3 p.m. strike teams, including air support, had also been dispatched to the fire that was reportedly around one acre with no structures threatened at that time.

According to the Genesys Protect app, as of 3:40 p.m. those in the immediate area were being advised to shelter in place, which includes going indoors and shutting doors and windows.

By 3:45 p.m., it had been changed to an evacuation warning, advising those in the immediate area they need to be prepared to evacuate.