Firefighters Battle 2,080-Acre Camp Pendleton Vegetation Blaze – Patch

Firefighters Battle 2,080-Acre Camp Pendleton Vegetation Blaze  Patch

The Camp Pendleton blaze, dubbed the Henderson Fire, erupted shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday. CAMP PENDLETON, CA – Firefighters strove for a second day Friday to corral a wildfire that has blackened more than 2,000 acres on the grounds of Camp Pendleton, prompting evacuations at the Oceanside-area military base and forcing closures of stretches of Interstate 5. Crews have yet to establish any containment of the blaze burning in the western reaches of the northern San Diego County Marine Corps installation, according to Cal Fire. "The fire remains active and continues to spread, with fire crossing containment lines on the northwest side," the state agency reported shortly before 11 a.m. Friday.

"Air and ground resources remain engaged in suppression efforts, with additional resources en route." About 90 minutes later, the California Highway Patrol reported that the ongoing growth of the burn zone had prompted a full closure of I-5 between Basilone Road and Vandegrift Boulevard. As of early afternoon, vegetation was ablaze on both sides of the freeway, according to Cal Fire. Shortly before 4:30 p.m. Friday, the CHP advised that the northbound lanes of the interstate were open again. The closure remained in effect, however, on the southbound side. Adding to emergency crews' urgent fire-suppression workload in the area, a separate blaze erupted late Friday morning several miles north