Bernardo Fire

The Bernardo Fire was a wildfire that occurred during the May 2014 San Diego County wildfire outbreak.[1] The Bernardo fire was the second of the May 2014 wildfires in San Diego County, and the first of the swarm of wildfires that ignited in mid-May, following dry weather and Santa Ana conditions. The fire ignited in 4S Ranch in San Diego County, on May 13, near Del Norte High School, and eventually spread southward and westward, burning 1,548 acres (6 km2) of land. The Bernardo Fire was extinguished on May 17, without causing any significant property losses.[1]

Bernardo Fire
Location4S Ranch, San Diego County, California
Coordinates33.003°N 117.133°W / 33.003; -117.133
Statistics[1]
CostMinimal
Date(s)May 13, 2014 (2014-05-13) – May 17, 2014 (2014-05-17)
Burned area1,548 acres (6 km2)
CauseSparks from faulty Powered Equipment
DeathsNone reported
Non-fatal injuries3
Map
Location of fire in Southern California

The fire

The fire started on Tuesday, May 13, at 10:00 AM PDT, just south of Del Norte High School, in a construction trench off Nighthawk Lane.[1][2] Over the next few hours, the wildfire intensified, due to the strong Santa Ana winds driving it southward. This prompted the evacuation of several schools (with the exception of Del Norte High School), in addition to at least 20,000 homes. Within several hours, the fire covered at least 800 acres (320 ha) and was only 5% contained. The rapid southward spread of the fire caused mandatory evacuation orders to be issued for portions of 4S Ranch, Del Sur, Black Mountain Ranch, Rancho Santa Fe, and other residential communities. Late on May 13, the Bernardo Fire reached a size of 1,600 acres (650 ha). By 12:00 AM PDT on May 14, the portion of the fire within 4S Ranch and Del Sur had been completely extinguished, which was about 25% of the Bernardo Fire's 1,600 acre blaze. Later on May 14, all of the evacuation orders were lifted.[3]

On Wednesday, May 14, at 6 PM PDT, the wildfire was 50% contained.[4] By the next morning, it was reported as 75% contained and no longer expanding.[5] On May 16, the Bernardo Fire was reported to be 90% contained, but some structures were still threatened by the fire.[6] On May 17, the fire was 95% contained, without having expanded any further.[7] On May 17, at 8:14 PM PDT, the Bernardo Fire was reported to be 100% contained.

The San Diego Unified School District closed all its schools citywide on May 15, but reopened most of them on the following day.

The cause of the Bernardo Fire has been ruled to be accidental; authorities said that it started in a small trench being dug by a construction crew and spread rapidly through the dry brush at the site. The Bernardo Fire had been ignited by sparks coming from a backhoe trencher.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Bernardo Fire". CAL FIRE. 17 May 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  2. Anthony Thompson (14 May 2014). "BERNARDO & SANTA BARBARA FIRES DISPLACE SAN DIEGO RESIDENTS". Thompson/Wedeking. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  3. Perry, Tony (May 14, 2014). "Bernardo fire in San Diego County doubles in size, is 25% contained". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
  4. "Nearly 1,600-Acre Bernardo Fire 50 Percent Contained". KPBS. May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  5. "Bernardo Fire 75 percent contained as of Thursday morning". San Diego 6: The CW. May 15, 2015. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  6. "Friday Updates on San Diego Fires". NBC San Diego. May 16, 2014. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  7. "San Diego Wildfires: New Blaze Forces More Evacuations; More Than 20,000 Acres Burned". weather.com. May 17, 2014. Archived from the original on May 15, 2014. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  8. Garske, Monica (June 4, 2014). "New Details Released on Cause of Bernardo Fire". NBC San Diego. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
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