Poomacha Fire Update - A new fire, dubbed the Poomacha fire, erupted about 3 a.m. Tuesday near State Route 76 and Poomacha Road in Pauma Valley, burned through the Rincon Indian Reservation and then jumped Interstate 15 westward in the Del Dios area.

By noon, the wildfire had scorched 23,000 acres and destroyed several buildings and was running parallel to the Rice Canyon fire that has burned 500 homes and 6500 acres outside Fallbrook and Rainbow Heights. 

San Diego firefighters are concerned that the two fires will meet explosively in the Del Dios Canyon. Firefighters have been pulled out of the area, and residents are under mandatory evacuation.

A structure fire set tinder-dry brush ablaze, spawning a wildfire that quickly spread over tens of thousands of acres as it moved across the flanks of Mount Palomar. The blaze, dubbed the Poomacha Fire, is not threatening the famed observatory, according to Cal Fire.

By 2 p.m. PST, the wind-whipped Poomacha fire’s flames were threatening several thousand structures in Deer Springs, Hidden Meadows, Pauma Valley, Valley Center and Vista, CalFire reported.

Also, the Witch fire is now listed as 215,000 acres and growing. There may be new evacuations ordered tonight as these fires continue advancing westward.

These fires are so large and so intense that it will not be possible to bring them totally under control in less than a week. 800 marines from Camp Pendleton have volunteered to help fight the wildfires, even though many of them have only recently returned from Iraq.

Poomacha Fire Update - 9:00pm PST (10-23):
There have been 10 injuries to firefighers, 218 firefighters are assigned to this incident. Fifty homes have been destroyed. The fire increased in size substantially due to extreme fire behavior, lack of resources and high winds. No significant perimeter control has been initiated due to structure protection priorities.

And that’s the latest news on the Poomacha fire.

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