(This story was updated with new information.)
A vegetation fire along California’s border with Mexico had grown to roughly 2,617 acres and was at 5% containment in a rural area east of San Diego as of Wednesday afternoon, June 3.
The fire prompted local officials to issue evacuation warnings Tuesday for the remote areas south of Barrett Junction and Engineer Springs, and an evacuation shelter was opened at the County of San Diego Community Center, located at 8735 Jamacha Boulevard in Spring Valley. More details on the areas under non-mandatory evacuation warnings were available on Cal Fire’s website.
The fire more than doubled its total acreage Wednesday, with 1,625 acres burned in the United States and 992 acres burned in Mexico.
“The fire continues to burn in areas of dense, dry vegetation,” Cal Fire said in an update shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday. “Ground and aerial resources are making steady progress, reinforcing containment lines and conducting mop-up operations on remaining hot spots.”
The Border 6 Fire started on the Mexican side of the border on Monday, June 1, before Cal Fire officials reported it crossed the Tijuana River Drainage overnight into Tuesday. It initially covered 20 acres in the United States, but the fire activity increased significantly Tuesday and into Wednesday.
Cal Fire officials reported the fire was “in a remote area in rocky, difficult terrain,” with about 130 firefighting personnel deployed in response.
Cal Fire had not reported any injuries to civilians or firefighters as of Wednesday morning, nor was any damage to structures reported.
Tom Coulter is a reporter for The Desert Sun. Reach him at tcoulter@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Border 6 Fire at San Diego-Mexico border grows to over 2,600 acres
Reporting by Tom Coulter, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tom Coulter, Palm Springs Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
