UPDATE: McCain Fire now 70% contained, 1,500+ acres burned

UPDATE (7 a.m. Thursday): The McCain Fire that sparked Monday afternoon is now 70% contained, according to Cal Fire officials. Firefighters also provided an update on the total number of acres burned: 1,595.

Cal Fire says the acreage grew because of better mapping; the fire activity is still low and firefighters are working to contain it further.

An evacuation order for the De Anza Resort area was lifted Tuesday afternoon, and all evacuation warnings for the area were lifted by 2 p.m. Wednesday.

Additionally, Cal Fire said all roads in the area were reopened because of the improved containment.

"Please drive carefully, as firefighters will continue to work in the area to mitigate the hazards and strengthen control lines," firefighters say. "Noise and dust will be present throughout the day. Smoke may be seen from areas where the fire is still burning, but there is no threat to the public."

Cal Fire's incident page about the McCain Fire can be found here.

UC San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia camera network captured the start and growth of the McCain Fire Monday afternoon into the evening. Watch the fire grow in this time-lapse video, which shows the heavy smoke billowing into the air. (CREDIT: ALERTCalifornia | UC San Diego)

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UPDATE (2:45 p.m. Tuesday): The evacuation order for the De Anza Resort triggered by the McCain Fire has been lifted, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

Although the order was lifted is still under an evacuation warning. Deputies say people who evacuated can return home; however, they should be prepared to leave if fire conditions worsen.

"If you need extra time to evacuate, you are advised to stay clear of the area," the sheriff's department wrote on X. "The Evacuation Warning will remain in place and will be reassessed as conditions change."

You can follow this link to see the areas that are under the evacuation warning because of this fire.

UPDATE (11 a.m.): The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District is warning residents/visitors in the area of the McCain Fire to be aware of heavy smoke from the blaze.

A Smoke Advisory took effect Tuesday morning for the “extreme Southeast San Diego County” area due to smoke from the fire burning near Interstate 8 and McCain Valley Road.

The impacted communities are areas east of Boulevard and north of Titus. Cal Fire said that as of Tuesday morning, the fire has burned 1,000 acres and was 5% contained.

SDAPCD officials stated, “The smoke is expected to blow toward the northeast through Tuesday morning and toward the east-northeast Tuesday afternoon.

In areas of heavy smoke near the fire, assume that air quality levels are unhealthy for sensitive groups to unhealthy for all individuals. In areas with minor smoke impacts, assume that air quality levels range from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups.

If you are near the affected communities and smell smoke it is advised that you limit physical/outdoor activity. If possible, stay indoors to limit your exposure to fine particulate matter and ozone, especially those residents with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, and children.

Mike Cornett, a public information officer for Cal Fire, said Tuesday morning that between 100 and 150 structures in the DeAnza Springs RV Resort were evacuated. However, ABC10News saw that not all residents evacuated.

Stef Tonkin is one resident of the RV Resort, and she evacuated but did not go too far.

• MAP: Evacuation orders for McCain Fire

She slept in her car overnight on Carrizo Gorge Road, next to a Shell gas station. That road leads into the RV Resort, and she continued waiting for the road to reopen.
"I'm exhausted, but I just want to get home," Tonkin said.

Tonkin also said it was hard getting updates by phone because cell service was weak. She preferred waiting close to home, versus going to the shelter at the Golden Acorns Casino.

The Golden Acorn Casino became more than just an evacuation site for DeAnza Springs residents; it's Cal Fire's incident command post for the fire.

Firefighters used the casino’s on-site gas station to fuel up their engines before heading out. Four teams were deployed and encouraged to drink plenty of water and take extra breaks due to the heat.

Cornett said there will be challenges for firefighters Tuesday.

"So we're going to see temperatures in the 90s," Cornett said. "The footing is an issue, and we have the potential of snakes out there. There are a lot of cultural sites we want to be mindful of."

ABC 10News saw evacuees from DeAnza resting inside the casino's truck stop area.

Employees of the casino told 10News there were cots available and pets were welcome.

Cornett said it is indefinite how long this wildfire will last.

To monitor the fire updates, follow this link.

UPDATE (8:20 a.m.):

Update: WB I-8 west of Carrizo Gorge, the brush fire is still active. The left lane has reopened to traffic -the right lane remains closed.

— Caltrans San Diego (@SDCaltrans) July 2, 2024

UPDATE (7:30 a.m.): Cal Fire San Diego officials said they expected “active fire behavior” on Tuesday as crews continue to battle the McCain Fire in the Boulevard area.

During a morning press briefing, Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornett said the fire shifted to the north overnight, moving away from De Anza Springs Resort.

Cornett noted temperatures are expected to be in the 90s on Tuesday, but crews are looking to take advantage of the lack of wind in the forecast. Cornett also said they were unsure how long this fire would last.

Over 150 firefighters, including crews from Orange and Los Angeles counties, were battling the fire.

Evacuation orders remained in place as of Tuesday morning. An interactive map of evacuation areas: https://emergencymap.sandiegocounty.gov/index.html.

Cornett said the fire erupted at around 3:30 p.m. near McCain Valley Road after a vehicle overturned and caught fire. Winds then pushed fire into nearby dry vegetation.

UPDATE (July 3, 6 a.m.): Cal Fire San Diego officials said the so-called McCain Fire in the Boulevard area has burned at least 1,000 acres and was 5% contained as of 6 a.m.

Per Cal Fire San Diego: "De Anza Resort is under evacuation order and 150 structures are threatened in the area."

Firefighters battling the blaze made progress overnight thanks to the fire's low intensity

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A brush fire in the Boulevard area of far east San Diego County quickly grew to 900+ acres after it sparked Monday afternoon, leading to a heavy presence of firefighters.

It resulted in the "immediate evacuation" of De Anza Springs Resort.

“It looked pretty scary and by the time we left, smoke was covering our whole viewpoint," said Gustin Klindt, an evacuee who spoke with 10News at the Golden Acorn Casino, which was set up as a temporary evacuation point.

Cal Fire first posted on X about the fire at I-8 on McCain Valley Road just before 4 p.m. Firefighters reported seeing a vehicle on fire in the brush.

Cal Fire said that the fire had grown to 903 acres with the potential for 1,500 acres at a "moderate rate of spread." The public was notified about the evacuation shortly after 4 p.m.

Click here for a link of evacuated areas.

All westbound lanes of I-8 were closed at Carrizo Gorge as first responders worked to control the fire, according to Caltrans San Diego.

According to Cal Fire, more than 150 firefighters from different agencies are working on containing the fire. Anxious evacuees said they are grateful for their efforts, which will continue through the night.

"Hopefully we’ll have something to return to, as long as they stay safe…that’s all that matters," said Klindt.

Sky10 flew over the blaze. Watch the feed from the chopper, which was broadcast live on Facebook, below:

#McCainFire in Boulevard [update] Fire is now 714 acres.Evacuation Orders have been issued for Zones:SDC-2335, SDC-2336, SDC-2337 , SDC-2411Evacuation Warnings have been issued for Zones:SDC-2487, SDC-2412, SDC-2413See link for map showing on Evacuation Orders and… pic.twitter.com/YRkhQwk5bv

— CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) July 2, 2024

This is a developing story. Stay with ABC 10News as our team of journalists continues to monitor this fire.