The Creelman Fire broke out at approximately 3 PM Wednesday on the 300 block of Creelman Lane in Ramona, a rural community in San Diego County, and within two hours had scorched 315 acres at what Cal Fire described as a "dangerous rate of spread," threatening structures in the San Diego Country Estates neighborhood and forcing mandatory evacuations across multiple zones.
A Cal Fire helicopter rescued two civilians from the fire area during the initial push.
By Wednesday evening the fire had grown to 346 acres and was 20 percent contained with two night-flying helicopters assisting crews working through the night. By Thursday morning it was 347 acres and 60 percent contained.
The fire broke out during a heat advisory covering all of San Diego County and a heat warning for the region's deserts, conditions that drove rapid spread through dry vegetation before cooler overnight temperatures and higher humidity helped crews gain the upper hand.
A separate brush fire in Rainbow, in the northern part of the county, also prompted evacuation orders Wednesday morning but was contained with forward progress stopped before the Creelman Fire emerged.
Road closures including Vista Ramona Road at Old Julian Highway and San Vicente at Arena Way remained in place Thursday.
The San Diego County Air Pollution District issued a smoke advisory for all of East County. Evacuation zones could expand or contract as conditions change, residents can monitor AlertSanDiego.org for updates.