Torrey Pines fire might portend a tough fire season in San Diego region

SAN DIEGO — The brush fire in a natural preserve overlooking the ocean near Del Mar on Tuesday drew a fast and aggressive response — two planes, five helicopters and about 150 firefighters — and prompted residents to scramble out of their homes as the flames raced up hill.

The fire in Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve was one of the first notable blazes in the region’s urban areas this year. Crews worked hard to keep it to what the final maps show had reached 23 acres in chaparral made thick from heavy winter rains. It wasn’t big by wildfire standards, but it did highlight the large response from fire crews that have become the norm.

This year could bring an even rougher than usual fire season. So far through Wednesday, Cal Fire San Diego has logged 146 wildland fires in the county, burning 681 acres. By the same date last year, the number was 30 wildfires with 116 acres burned.

Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette said above normal precipitation, an abundance of available vegetation for fires and a general warming trend “has affected the fire activity recently.”

The region has had about 2 inches of rain more than average since Oct. 1, when the yearly measurements start.

With extra vegetation — particularly the sort that dries out easily — combined with the drier conditions and warmer temperatures of a likely coming La Niña weather pattern, fire officials are “expecting an active fire season in August, September and the following few months,” the fire captain said.

“Now is the time for people to make sure that they have their evacuation plans in order,” Cornette said.

Authorities said Tuesday’s fire, in an extension of the coastal nature reserve, started about 3 p.m. as a spot fire from a nearby blaze that crews had doused hours earlier. Once it got going, fanned by onshore winds, it raced up a hill headed toward homes. By Wednesday afternoon, crews had the fire footprint about 85% contained.

And with fire season approaching, officials warned people not to fly drones over active wildfires, because it forces them to ground planes and helicopters that could be dropping water or fire retardant. A San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson said errant drones forced aircrews to break away two or three times during Tuesday’s firefight, preventing perhaps 10 to 12 drops.

On Wednesday, firefighters with Cal Fire were keeping an eye on a brush fire burning in Mexico just beyond the border wall, southeast of Otay Mesa, in case it crossed into the U.S. “We had reports it had crossed the wall but actually it did not, so now we are just monitoring it,” said Cal Fire Capt. Brent Pascua. “The wall is holding the fire.”

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(San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Karen Kucher contributed to this report.)

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