At least one person has been killed and
The Witch Fire merged overnight with another blaze that broke out when a transformer exploded near state Route 78 and
An evacuation order came later for San Pasqual Valley between Ramona and
The Witch fire consumed at least 8,000 acres and sent flames more than 100 feet into the air. Roads out of the town were jammed as people sought safety after authorities contacted 10,000 households by phone. Ramona's population is 36,000.
Fire investigators suspect downed power lines ignited the fire, named after the Witch Creek area where it started west of Santa Ysabel. Pushed by wind gusts of up to 60 mph, the fire roared westward throughout the day.
The Harris fire has charred over 14,000 acres and continued to move west through the night.
New fires had popped up near
The fire by Cal State University-San Marcos, known as the Coronado Hills fire for the area it is located in, has burned 300 acres between the campus and San Elijo Hills. 700 students at the university have been evacuated.
The Descanso fire, which broke out near Interstate 8, also burned about 200 acres, according to county officials.
The fire near
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