Pala Fire burns 8 acres, leads to brief evacuation order

An aerial view of the remote terrain around the Pala fire. (Photo courtesy of Cal Fire San Diego) A brush fire broke out Saturday west of the Pala Indian Reservation, burning seven acres before firefighters stopped its forward progress. The blaze was reported at 11:33 a.m. Saturday at Highway 76 near Couser Canyon Road, according to Cal Fire San Diego. In less than an hour, the agency said that forward progress had been stopped. Evacuation orders and warnings had been issued, but lifted soon after once crews gained the upper hand on the blaze. Firefighters will remain on scene for several hours for clean-up. Capt. Mike Cornette said the fire “has slowed down quite a bit,” adding that its spread in a riparian area with a river bottom might be a factor. Although structures were under threat, there have not been any reports of damage or injuries, he said. Multiple agencies helped Cal Fire battle the blaze, including with additional aircraft. Cornette reminded people not to fly drones, “as those will hamper our firefight.”