Oceanside CA— Firefighters from Oceanside, Camp Pendleton and Vista Fire Departments are currently on the scene of a vegetation fire burning between North River Road and SR-76, near Melrose. The fire is sending smoke into the air which is visible from much of Oceanside.
The fire is burning in the riverbed that runs through the property of the West Coast Tomato Growers packing plant on North River Road. The fire is contained to the riverbed with agricultural fields surrounding the burn area. There are no structures threatened but water supply is an issue along with the density of the brush making it difficult for firefighters to extinguish the fire. Initial estimates of just over an acre of the riverbed is involved.
Approximately 15 units were dispatched to the scene at 2:42pm, January 15, 2015. No reports of injuries and no word on the cause.
UPDATE: One Firefighter suffered a minor injury. The fire was accidentally started by a weed trimmer that hit a rock and caused a spark to ignite dry brush. The final estimate of the burn area is four acres. The fire took one hour to contain and three hours for complete mop-up. Additional Fire Departments on the scene were North County Fire and Rainbow.
Vegetation Fire in Northeast Oceanside-updated
January 15, 2015