Crews gain containment of 3,100-acre Henderson Fire burning on Camp Pendleton
Southern California firefighters have gained containment of the wildfire that shut down part of the 5 Freeway on Thursday and Friday afternoons after it ignited on Camp Pendleton the day before.
The so-called Henderson Fire erupted at around 2:35 p.m. Thursday near Henderson Street and Brown Street on the massive military compound that spans San Diego and Orange counties. According to Cal Fire officials, the blaze burned dangerously close to populated areas of the base, near Basilone and Las Pulgas roads.
Since it ignited, the fire has grown to 3,132 acres and is 35% contained, Cal Fire reported.
The blaze briefly threatened I-5 as flames moved towards the freeway, leading to a complete shutdown in both directions between Basilone Road and Harbor Drive. By 6 p.m. Thursday, California Highway Patrol officers reopened the freeway.
Evacuation orders and warnings were temporarily issued for some Camp Pendleton residents, and evacuation points were established at Paige Field House and the 21 Area Gym, officials said.
On Friday, a second, smaller fire, known as the Scales Fire, ignited near the San Onofre Checkpoint on I-5, near where the Henderson Fire burned the day before. Though crews were able to prevent the fire from spreading after it burned approximately 20 acres, traffic on the freeway was again severely impacted, even spreading to I-15 in Riverside County as commuters attempted to avoid the backup through the military grounds.
The fire, which burned in vegetation on both sides of the freeway, briefly forced evacuation orders for the camping areas along San Onofre State Beach. The evacuation orders were lifted, and both sides of the freeway were reopened by CHP by 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Cal Fire officials provided an update on Saturday morning, reporting that "fire activity moderated overnight as wind speeds decreased slightly and relative humidity increased."
"Overnight, firefighters constructed handline along the southern portion of the fire in the heavily vegetated riparian area of Las Pulgas Canyon and worked to extinguish hot spots," Cal Fire said.
According to Saturday's update, crews would continue focusing on the northern portion of the fire, working to extinguish hot spots along the perimeter and within the interior.
Cal Fire reported that the cause of the blaze is under investigation.
The Henderson Fire is one of several that erupted across Southern California during a period of heightened Santa Ana wind activity, warm temperatures and low humidity. In Los Angeles County, residents in Malibu were forced to evacuate due to the nearly 150-acre Bryson Fire, while further along I-5 near San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, the Norte Fire burned half a dozen homes and more than 550 acres.
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