Evacuations lifted for 490-acre brush fire in Otay Mesa
A brush fire burned 350 acres near homes and a high school in the South Bay Thursday, prompting police to order mandatory evacuations in the area.
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SAN DIEGO — A brush fire burned 450 acres near homes and a high school in the South Bay Thursday, prompting police to order mandatory evacuations in the area.
Flames broke out along Airway Road in Otay Mesa, just up the road from Rock Church and San Ysidro High School, around noon.
San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said about 130 acres of brush had burned by 2 p.m. By 5:30 p.m., the fire had grown to 450 acres and was 10 percent contained.
Around 3:15 p.m., police ordered mandatory evacuations south of St. Andrews Avenue, west of La Media Road and east of Cactus Road. The Higher Education Center at Otay Mesa was also evacuated.
Earlier, police served voluntary evacuation notices to buildings south of SR-905 and west of Cactus Road. By 3 p.m., police had expanded evacuation warnings eastward from SR-905 to the U.S.-Mexico border and from Cactus Road to La Media Road.
The Park and Ride lot at Otay Mesa Road and Caliente Avenue was opened to evacuees.
SDFD said the buildings were mostly industrial, but the evacuations did include 70 homes.
Officials have closed the eastbound SR-905 offramp to Brittania Boulevard, southbound Brittania Boulevard, southbound La Media Road and northbound and southbound access to Cross Border Xpress.
San Ysidro High administrators told FOX 5 that firefighters were set up near their campus and keeping them updated, but that the campus had not been impacted.
Two aircrafts and 325 fire personnel were helping out with firefighting efforts.
