A small brush fire broke out on Oceanside Boulevard on Friday afternoon. The fire sent plumes of smoke across parts of North County before firefighters swiftly brought it under control.
Authorities confirmed that the fire spread across approximately 10 to 15 acres at its peak, briefly threatening nearby structures. The crews, however, halted the fire’s forward progress within about 45 minutes.
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Location, map, and spread of the Boulevard Fire
The Boulevard Fire was concentrated in a dry brush area near a key intersection in Oceanside, a coastal city in San Diego County.
The fire sparked just before 4:30 p.m. and was located near Oceanside Boulevard and Rancho del Oro Drive, close to the SoCal Sports Complex and the Race Club, according to NBC News.
Fire-tracking services such as Watch Duty indicated that the blaze was moving at a “critical rate of spread” at one point. See the map on Watch Duty here.
Aerial footage shared by SkyRanger7 later showed that firefighters were able to contain the flames to a charred field, with smoke significantly diminishing by early evening as crews worked on hot spots.
According to NBC 7 meteorologist Greg Bledsoe, the fire started during light winds in the 10–15 mph range, which probably helped firefighters achieve success in containing the fire.
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Evacuations, response, and current status
Watch Duty reported that there were some verbal evacuations, but neither the San Diego County emergency warning system nor the Genasys evacuation service reported any formal evacuations.
According to Fox News, the El Corazon Senior Center on Rancho Del Oro Road and the neighboring communities have been given shelter-in-place orders.
Road closures are in effect in the surrounding region while firefighters try to contain the flames, according to an Oceanside Fire Department press release.
Fire crews from local departments responded immediately, deploying ground units to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby homes and infrastructure. By around 5:15 p.m., the fire’s forward progress had been stopped, marking a rapid containment effort.
Residents are advised to stay indoors, shut doors and windows, and heed safety officials’ directions.
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