Crime & Safety

Update: Banner Fire 95% Contained at 5,321 Acres

Cal Fire officials estimated the cost to suppress the fire at $4 million. Cause not reported.

Update Tuesday: Accurate mapping has indicated the Banner Fire has scorched approximately 5,321 acres, according to Cal Fire at 7:30 a.m. Full containment is expected by the end of today. The updated estimated cost of suppression is $4 million. There have been four minor injuries. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

More than 950 firefighters worked Sunday to contain a wildfire that has burned nearly 5,400 acres east of Julian since Thursday afternoon.

The blaze, which started in the Cigarette Hills area of eastern San Diego County near Banner Grade, grew quickly due to strong winds Thursday.

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As of late Sunday afternoon, the fire was about 90 percent contained, or surrounded, and had burned 5,391 acres, according to Cal Fire, which projected full containment sometime Monday.

Cal Fire officials said the increase in acreage was due to more accurate mapping and firefighters continued to make progress on building a line around the fire.

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Nearly 50 fire crews were working with 73 engines, seven water-dropping helicopters and a couple of air tankers and bulldozers to quench the flames and
extinguish isolated hot spots within the fire's perimeter.

Cal Fire officials estimated the cost to suppress the fire at $2 million. The cause, if known, has not been disclosed.

So far, no structures have burned, though shortly after the fire started, authorities evacuated people from about 100 Shelter Valley homes in its path. Those residents were allowed to go home Thursday night.

About 50 people at the Stage Coach Trails RV Resort at the south end of Shelter Valley were evacuated Friday afternoon but the order was lifted later that evening.

The fire also prompted authorities to close parts of state Route 78 and Route S2 at times, but both have been reopened.

—City News Service contributed to this report.


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