A brush fire that ignited Monday on the north end of Camp Pendleton has charred more than 1,100 acres as it spreads into the Cleveland National Forest.
Read more US tells states to deal with unemployment fraud — or face penalties
The Mateo fire was reported to be 40% contained Tuesday afternoon, said Cleveland National Forest spokesperson Daniel Lanari. No structures were threatened. The department initially said the fire had burned 1,500 acres by Tuesday afternoon, but later called that a rough estimate and revised the acreage burned to 1,183 acres.
The blaze began around 1:30 p.m. Monday in the Quebec training area of the base, near the San Mateo Creek, officials said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Around 460 firefighters from the U.S. Forest Service, Camp Pendleton and the Orange County Fire Authority were battling the blaze Tuesday, including eight hotshot crews, two bulldozers and five helicopters, Lanari said.
The fire, which is burning in the northeast corner of the base and in the San Mateo wilderness area, had grown to 990 acres by Tuesday morning and continued to spread at a moderate rate. Lanari said fire crews were dealing with “hard access and terrain issues” that were slowing their efforts.
Read more New Zealand’s Tyler Bindon and mom Jenny are the first mother-son duo to play in the World Cup
“It is a lot of old brush that hasn’t burned in a long time, old chaparral brush. It is kind of a remote area along the forest and Camp Pendleton out there,” Lanari said.
A Camp Pendleton official said updates on the fire would be posted on the base’s Facebook page. An update posted Tuesday morning said there was no threat to personnel or property.
“While firefighters are working on fighting the Mateo fire, the public is asked to use caution with anything that can spark a fire as the Southern California weather continues to heat up and vegetation dries out,” a Forest Service news release said.
Read more Archaeologists find musket balls and fort linked to the Battle of Bunker Hill