Update 5:07 p.m. -- The fire has swelled to 1,400 acres, per Cal Fire.  Camp Lockett in Campo is now accepting large animals from the fire.  There are 2 evacuation centers - Jamul Casino and Camp Lockett. Do NOT go to Potrero County Park announced earlier.  Coyote Holler is now being evacuated due to shifting winds, a resident has informed ECM.

Update 4:20 p.m. -- A VLAT (very large air tanker) has been ordered.  Resources are requested from as far away as Arizona.

Update 3:45 p.m. -- Cal Fire reports the fire has burned 100 to 150 acres and destroyed a structure; it is spreading at a critical rate of speed.

Evacuation centers are being set up at Jamul Casino; if you cannot safely reach there, an alternative evacuation point is at Potrero County Park (24800 Potrero Park Dr.) in Potrero.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

August 31, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) Cal Fire is at the scene of a vegetation fire near Highway 94 and Barrett Lake Road. The #Border32Fire is 30 acres with immediate structure threat, burning eastward. A type 1 strike team has been requested to be dispatched to Potrero, scanner traffic indicates.

The California Highway Patrol is shutting down State Route 94 between Marron Valley and State Route 188.

Cal Fire urges people to evacuated from the followin areas (map updateed 4:20 p.m.)

By Julie Pendray

Photo: Animal Services worker evacuates pets during Border Fire

July 25, 2017 (Ramona) -- A public meeting about the County’s possible outsourcing of animal welfare services in unincorporated areas drew criticism last week from union members and some residents in this town, where memories of evacuating horses and other animals during the Witch Creek and Cedar wildfires are still scorched deeply into local culture.

Photo:A member of the California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team work on cleaning up debris on a property burned during the Potrero Fire.

By Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications OfficeAug. 22, 2016 | 9:00 AM

After the Border Fire swept through rural East County in June, it left burned-out, ashen remains of six homes and 12 outbuildings. To help survivors clear debris, the County Office of Emergency Services turned to some veterans of disaster clean-up: the California Southern Baptist Disaster Relief organization.

Update 10 p.m. The fire is 5% contained and a firefighter has been injured, CalFire reports. An emergency overnight shelter is open at Campo Elementary School, 1654 Buckman Springs Rd.in Campo.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left: air tanker battles the Border Fire, by Leon Thompson

June 19, 2016 (Potrero) --As of 7:20 tonight, the fast-growing Border Fire has charred 1,500 acres and led to mandatory evacuation orders for the entire town of Potrero, per Cal Fire.  Structures are threatened. 

Residents fleeing the Border Fire can now go to these evacuation centers:  Campo Community Center ( Cool Zone )  at 300 Sheridan Rd, Campo Elementary School ( Red Cross Shelter ) at 1654 Buckman Springs Rd, or the Dulzura Community Center at 1136 Community Building Road off State Route 94 (note corrected address). This information has been verified through Red Cross and Campo Community Center employees.  The Sheriff reports a third evacuation center opened at Campo Elementary School, 1654 Buckman Springs Road, Campo.

If you need emergency assistance in evacuation, call 9-1-1. If you need additional information, check the San Diego County Emergency website at www.sdcountyemergency.com or call the San Diego Sheriff's Department non-emergency line at 858-565-5200.  For help with large animal evacuations due to , call the San Diego County Animal Services at (619) 236-2341.  Follow additoinal updates on Twitter at #BorderFire.

Road closures in effect on Highway 94 are changing rapidly as the fire moves.  Get the latest traffic and road closure information at https://cad.chp.ca.gov/Traffic.aspx.  Here are closures as of now:

Update 5:30 p.m.  This fire was contained at 8 acres, Cal Fire reports.

June 17, 2012 (Potrero) - Cal-Fire is on the scene of a 6-acre brush fire on Potrero Valley Road in Potrero, Incident Page Network reports. The fire is reportedly spreading at a slow rate of speed. Watch for update soon.

Update Sept. 3, 2010 12:10 p.m.:  The Cowboy Fire is now 42% contained, will full containment projected for Sunday. Smoke can be seen in the area, due to an island of unburned fuel that burned in the middle of the fire. There is no current threat to structures.

Currently there are 48 engines, 35 fire crews, 2 bulldozers, 4 helicopters, 2 helitankers, 4 airtankers, 8 water tenders, 69 overhead for a total of 1,360 firefighters committed to the incident. There have been two minor injuries to firefighters, Cal-Fire reports.

September 3, 2010 (5 a.m.) -- Firefighters have held the Cowboy Fire to 719 acres through the night.  The blaze is now 15% contained, said Cal-Fire battalion chief Nick Schuler.  He added, "The incident command expects the containment will increase even more when the sun rises."

September 2, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) 3:30 p.m. update:  – The Cowboy Fire is now 75 acres to 100, Cal-Fire reports.  Campo Elementary School is being evacuated, with students taken to Mountain Empire High School.