The updated Lilac fire map in San Diego County reveals the extent of the wildfires so far. The brush fire was first reported by Cal Fire at 1:23 AM PT on Tuesday, January 21, and had only burned about 2 acres near Old Highway 395 and Lilac road. However, by 6:30 AM PT the wildfire quickly grew to 80 acres as high winds ranging from 40 to 100 mph hit the region, which is still under a red flag warning at least through Tuesday night by the National Weather Service. Evacuation orders and warnings have been issued for multiple zones. Firefighters were also battling the Pala fire and the Riverview fire in the area through the night. Here is what we know about the San Diego fires today.
What is the Lilac fire map in San Diego now?
The Lilac fire map, as of 7:55 AM PT on January 21, has burned around 80 acres and has only 10% containment. An update on the status of the Lilac fire states that “fire activity has decreased significantly.”
As indicated by the map above, mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for seven zones highlighted in red, while evacuation warnings have been issued for five zones highlighted in yellow.
This report that the fire’s progress has been significantly reduced is good news given an earlier update at 2:09 AM PT by Cal Fire on X that said the blaze was growing “with a moderate rate of speed.”
The cause of the Lilac fire is still under investigation. Roughly 66 personnel have been assigned to the wildfire, and firefighting air tankers through California have been deployed for flying fire suppression missions.
Firefighters in San Diego County have also largely resolved two smaller fires. The Pala fire, which has burned around 17 acres, began around 2:16 AM PT and evacuation orders were quickly issued, but they were later lifted after 4:00 AM PT. Another wildfire called the Riverview fire in the community of Fallbrook was also halted with San Diego County Fire saying on X that the forward rate of spread has been stopped.
These fires come as firefighters in Los Angeles are still dealing with the remnants of the deadly Palisades fire, which is at 63% containment, and the Eaton fire, which is at 89% containment.
