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West Fire burns hundreds of acres, destroys several structures in Alpine

Posted at 8:46 AM, Jul 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-08 16:48:25-04

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Hundreds of acres were scorched Friday as the West Fire ripped through an East County community, destroying dozens of structures and displacing residents.

The fire was reported at about 11:30 a.m. off I-8 & West Willows Rd., before spreading west into the Alpine community. 

Two firefighters were injured in the fire. The first suffered slight burns to the face. The second firefighter suffered heat-related injuries.

Sunday afternoon, Cal Fire said a total of 34 residential structures and 22 other buildings were destroyed in the blaze. 20 other buildings and homes were also damaged in the fire. 

As of Sunday afternoon, the fire has scorched 505 acres and is so far 92 percent contained. Also Sunday, Cal Fire lifted all evacuation orders and road closures. The announcement was made via Twitter. 

Cal Fire Capt. Kendal Bortisser said the fire isn't like most fires that have hit San Diego and has been scattered in between homes and over hills.

Crews are expected to remain on the scene for the next couple of days. Triple-digital temperatures and wind gusts of 12-15 miles per hour fueled the fire's spread Friday, according to fire officials. High temps are expected to continue through Sunday.

"You add a little bit of wind to that, it's just going to increase the potential of the fire spreading quicker and moving faster," Capt. Bortisser said. "That's what we saw yesterday, the high temperatures, the dead dying fuel throughout, and a little bit of wind."

The cause of the fire is under investigation.