A second-alarm brush fire flared up yesterday just before 5 PM in Rancho Penasquitos, throwing a tall column of smoke over the neighborhood near Camino del Sur and briefly turning evening errands into a spectator event. Multiple San Diego fire units raced into the area as residents clustered along nearby streets to watch crews head toward the canyon. Officers shut down lanes on Park Village Road and Camino del Sur while firefighters worked to contain the flames.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department initially responded to a vegetation fire, then quickly upgraded the incident to a second alarm, according to NBC 7 San Diego. Cameras from the university-backed ALERTCalifornia network showed smoke rising over the canyon as crews attacked the flames, while the San Diego Police Department closed southbound lanes on Camino del Sur and eastbound Park Village Road to keep the area clear for engines and hose lines. Authorities told NBC that no structures were threatened during the response.
Why the canyon matters
Rancho Penasquitos sits right up against Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve, a steep, brushy corridor where fire can move fast and make ground crews work for every foot of progress, according to the city’s parks information. As San Diego Parks notes, the canyon’s shape can channel smoke and wind-blown embers toward nearby homes, raising nerves even when flames stay in the ravine. Updated state fire maps have expanded “very high” fire-hazard zones across San Diego County, heightening concern about any blaze that starts in canyon or watershed areas, per KPBS.
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