If you’re noticing an orange hue to the sun today into the weekend and smoke blended with the monsoon clouds, and perhaps a hint of a burned pine-like scent, the source is a wildfire just south of the U.S.-Mexico border, according to CalFire.
The smoke is not related to the SDG&E battery storage fire in Escondido, which has a specific evacuation area from the source to areas just around and east of the facility.
The smoke from the fire, originating from the area of Casa de Piedra, began wafting over San Diego County on Thursday, Sept. 5, as a heat wave settled over the region, with temperatures reaching about 100 degrees inland and from the low 80s to mid-90s toward the coast.
Although the smoke and scent from the fire was observed by people in the region, the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District had not issued any Smoke Advisories as of late Friday afternoon.
In a social media update at 12:50 p.m. Thursday, CalFire stated that it was “monitoring a fire well within Mexico. The fire is approximately four miles south of the international border and does not currently pose a threat to the United States.”
@CALFIRESANDIEGO is monitoring a fire well within Mexico. The fire is approximately four miles south of the international border and does not currently pose a threat to the United States.
We use cameras from @ALERTCalifornia to locate fires, like this one, from their mountaintop… pic.twitter.com/dN10v3iIzW— CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) September 5, 2024
In a second update at 3:35 p.m. Friday, CalFire reported that the blaze was now about two miles south of the border and that the agency was in contact with Mexican firefighters to monitor its movement.
**Fire in Mexico Update**
The fire in Mexico is approximately two miles south of the international border. @CALFIRESANDIEGO is in open communication with Mexican firefighters and is continuously monitoring the situation.
The picture below is the current view from Los Pinos… pic.twitter.com/qjMgBBYIlD
— CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) September 6, 2024
As for the weather, an Excessive Heat Warning remained in effect through 8 p.m. Friday for much of the inland valleys, mountains and deserts of San Diego County, including Escondido, San Marcos and Poway. A Heat Advisory remained in effect through Friday for communities west of the inland valleys including Oceanside, Carlsbad, Vista, Encinitas and San Diego.
The community of Ramona broke a high-temperature record Friday at 114 degrees, overtaking a temperature of 112 in 2020, according to the National Weather Service’s San Diego office.
The heat is the result of a strong area of high pressure over the Southwest that is expected to remain through the weekend, according to forecasters. The center of the high settled over Southern California, resulting in heat that hasn’t been experienced in the region in four years.
With the high pressure’s clockwise rotation, monsoonal clouds have entered the mix — as well as the wildfire smoke sent northward into the county from Mexico.
In its updates, CalFire directed the public to catch live updates online at ALERTCalifornia.