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A large vegetation fire began burning Thursday afternoon on a hilltop near the U.S.-Mexico border. As night fell, the flames cast an eerie glow across Otay Mountain.

Smoke from the so-called Border 2 Fire, which was blowing west and southwest in the direction of Otay Mesa, was visible for miles. Fixed-wing aircraft were seen making water drops on the fast-growing fire, including a very large air tanker assigned to fight the flames, according to Cal Fire. In the late afternoon, Cal Fire said 200 personnel had been assigned to the fight.

Flames from the fire could be seen racing up a hillside on Otay Mountain, near the Otay Mountain Truck Trail.

At a little before 2:30 p.m., Cal Fire San Diego tweeted out that the border fire had already burned 20 acres and had a "dangerous rate of spread." However, firefighters had downgraded the rate of spread to moderate, meaning that their efforts were beginning to bear fruit.

By 8:30 p.m., the fire had spread to 600 acres and was at 0% containment. By 3 a.m. Friday, the fire grew to 800 acres.

Evacuation advisories, warnings, orders

Evacuations have been ordered for the darker pink areas inside the bordered section, while those living in the yellow areas on the map are under evacuation warnings and are being told to prepare to evacuate and the areas in blue are advisories.

A temporary evacuation point is located in the parking lot at Edwards Cinema, 2951 Jamacha Road, El Cajon, 92019.

To see a detailed map, visit the County's Alert San Diego page. SDPD urged residents to download the Genasys app to stay informed on evacuations.

Footage from an ALERTCalifornia camera shows a brush fire burning near the U.S.-Mexico border and sending a large plume of smoke into the sky in San Diego County.

During Thursday afternoon, the fire crested Otay and "impacted [a] communications tower at the top of the mountain," according to Cal Fire.

Alta Road just south of Otay Mesa Road was closed due to the fire, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said.

Also impacted by the fire: The city of Chula Vista announced at about 4:30 p.m. that it was closing all parks and rec centers east of Interstate 805 due to increasingly poor air quality in the area.

"In areas of heavy smoke, assume that air quality levels are unhealthy for sensitive groups to unhealthy for all individuals," the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District said in a tweet. "In areas with minor smoke impacts, assume that air quality levels range from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups."

A second fire began burning almost simultaneously in La Jolla near Gilman Drive, not far from the campus of the UC San Diego. That fire, which was not nearly as large — the lates estimates put it at 3 acres — prompted evacutions in the heavily populated area. By 4 p.m., the evacuation order had been lifted.

The fires come in the wake of a series of blazes this week, including ones in Mission Valley near the Fashion Valley Mall and in Rancho Bernardo, as well as a second small one in Mission Valley on Thursday morning started in a homeless encampment.

Most concerning for firefighters and residents, though, is the fact that Thursday's forecast is for the strongest winds of a week of Santa Ana's.

Check back here for updates on this breaking news story — Ed.

The Border 2 Fire has burned 6,273 acres, forced evacuation orders and warnings, and prompted road and school closures.

Kristina Houck, Patch Staff

|Updated Fri, Jan 24, 2025 at 7:24 pm PT

SAN DIEGO, CA — A fast-moving and wind-driven wildfire burned thousands of acres and forced evacuation orders and warnings north of the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego County.

The fire broke out around 2:30 p.m. Thursday in a remote area near Otay Mountain Truck Trail, west of Doghouse Junction in the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area, according to Cal Fire San Diego.

As of Friday afternoon, the blaze, called the Border 2 Fire, had scorched 5,389 acres and remained 10% contained. Authorities expanded evacuation orders and warnings Friday afternoon.

As of 6 p.m., the fire had spread to 6,273 acres, Cal Fire said.

"Fire crews experienced extreme fire behavior last night with long range spotting," Cal Fire said in a Friday morning update. "The fire has impacted Otay Lakes Road, prompting evacuation order and warnings to the north and west of the Otay Mountain Wilderness. Night flying Cal Fire Fire-Hawk helicopters provided aerial support over the fire, while fixed wing aircraft have been ordered to be over the fire in the morning hours. A substantial augmentation of resources has been ordered and will report for assignment this morning."

Find out what's happening in San Diegofor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The fire sparked amid gusty Santa Ana conditions and moved with a "dangerous" rate of spread. The blaze blackened 20 acres within minutes of erupting. By 8:46 p.m., the fire had scorched 600 acres.

"There is a potential of 200 acres and additional resources have been ordered," Cal Fire said on social media shortly after the fire broke out.

"There is a threat to critical communication infrastructure on Otay Mountain Repeater Site," the agency added.

Crews fought the flames on the ground and aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters. A total of 692 firefighting personnel were assigned to the blaze Friday morning, including 24 crews, 23 engines, 16 water tenders, 10 helicopters and eight dozers, according to Cal Fire.

"Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the state are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow," Cal Fire said.

Authorities issued evacuation orders and warnings, which were expanded Friday afternoon.

Evacuation orders were issued for the following zones: SDC-2389A, SDC-2464, SDC-2543, SDC-2544, SDC-2466, SDC-2465, SDC-2390, SDC-2545. Evacuation warnings were issued for the following zones: SDC-2389B, SDC-2461, SDC-2462, SDC-2463, SDC-2541, SDC-2542, SDC-2605, SDC-2307, SDC-2391, SDC-2467, SDC-2306, SDC-2393, SDC-2546. See an interactive map here.

The temporary evacuation points at Regal Edwards Rancho San Diego and Southwestern College were closed Friday evening.

An overnight evacuation shelter opened at Cuyamaca College Gymnasium at 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway in El Cajon. Anyone affected by the fire can stop by to access services, whether or not they are staying overnight, according to the Red Cross.

Due to ongoing safety concerns related to the Border 2 Fire, Arroyo Vista, Camarena, Eastlake, Liberty, Marshall, Olympic View, Salt Creek, and Wolf Canyon elementary schools in the Chula Vista Elementary School District were closed Friday. All other schools in the district remained open but on rainy day schedule due to poor air quality.

In addition, Eastlake High, Eastlake Middle, Olympian High and East Hills Academy in Sweetwater Union High School District were closed. High Tech High Chula Vista and Arroyo Vista Charter School were also closed.

Authorities closed Alta Road near Otay Mesa Road. Otay Lakes Road was closed between Wueste Road and state Route 94.

Westbound SR-94 was closed at SR-188 due to the blaze, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Eastbound and westbound SR-94 was closed in both directions from Honey Springs Road to SR-188 due to firefighting activity, according to Caltrans.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office temporarily suspended all visits to county jails in the Otay Mesa area. The following sheriff's facilities were affected George Bailey Detention Facility, Rock Mountain Detention Facility and East Mesa Reentry Facility.

"The current status of our Otay Mesa detention facilities is to shelter in place. There is an evacuation plan in place if this becomes necessary," the sheriff's office said. "The safety and well-being of those in our custody, as well as jail staff, are a top priority. If you have a loved one in our custody, be assured there is currently no danger to these facilities related to the Border 2 Fire."

Smoke from the fire was visible from miles away.

The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District issued a smoke advisory for Otay Mesa and the surrounding areas. As of Friday morning, wind was blowing the smoke toward the west and depositing ash on the ground in some communities in the South Bay area.

"Winds are forecast to decrease later in the morning and shift direction, blowing east and northeast by early this afternoon," the district said. "This change may cause smoke impacts in areas east and northeast of Otay Mountain, including Dulzura and Jamul. Winds are expected to blow the smoke towards the east-northeast through early Friday evening."

The fire broke out amid critical fire weather conditions in the region. A red flag warning was extended until 10 a.m. Friday for the county's inland valleys and mountains, according to the National Weather Service.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Evacuation orders were issued in connection to the Border 2 Fire early Friday morning as crews continued to battle the fire amid Santa Ana wind conditions. By Friday evening, the fire grew to 6,273 acres, according to Cal Fire. It was 10% contained at that point as the wind conditions calmed down in various spots.

ABC 10News brought you live coverage with minute-by-minute updates from 4 to 7:30 a.m. See our coverage from throughout the morning below and in the various clips on this story:

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office announced evacuation orders and warnings at 3 a.m. Since then, the zones for orders, warnings and advisories have grown. This is what the map looked like as of 4:10 p.m.:

Cal Fire says there is a temporary evacuation point at Southwestern College - 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, CA 91910 and an evacuation shelter set up at Cuyamaca College - 900 Rancho San Diego Parkway, El Cajon, CA 92019.

The following road closures were active as of 5 a.m.:

You can find a live evacuation map from the Office of Emergency Services here.

The Chula Vista Elementary School District announced at 5:55 a.m. that the following schools would be closed Friday, Jan. 24, due to safety and air quality concerns:

"The health and safety of students, staff, and families are our highest priorities," the district said. High Tech High in Chula Vista was also closed. The Sweetwater Union High School District says the following schools will be closed Friday due to air quality and safety concerns:

The rest of the schools in the Sweetwater District will be open. The district says it is limiting outdoor activities on Friday. The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego says the following schools will be closed:

All schools in the San Ysidro School District will remain open Friday; however, they will be on an indoor contingency schedule. The South Bay Union School District will also stay open, with limited outdoor activity. Officials in the South Bay said they'd continue to monitor the situation. In the mountains, the Mountain Empire Unified School District, Warner Unified School District and Dehesa School District were closed Friday due to the windy conditions and public safety power shutoff from SDGE. The Borrego Springs Unified School District was also closed, per the San Diego County Office of Education.

The Border 2 Fire initially ignited around 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area, near Otay Mountain Truck Trail about a half-mile west of Doghouse Junction, per Cal Fire. At that point, it was 10 acres, and by 8 p.m. it was 566 acres.

Cal Fire's next update came at 2:15 a.m., reporting it at 800 acres as evacuations began. Overnight, the fire grew further, exploding to 4,250 acres by 6 a.m.

Cal Fire told ABC 10News that the Otay Lakes Reservoir acted as a natural barrier to the fire. ABC 10News reporter Dani Miskell was live from that vantage point monitoring conditions in real-time:

ABC 10News reporter Olivia Gonzalez-Britt spoke to evacuees at the Regal Edwards Cinema evacuation point. One man told her about how a family member lost their home during the recent wildfires in LA:

San Diego Gas & Electric shut off power for many areas as the Red Flag warning conditions were active.

As of 7 a.m. Friday, more than 20,000 customers had their power turned off. SDGE says as many as 63,000 people could lose power. The utility company indicated the period of concern would expire at 5 p.m. Friday.

Here's the map of the shutoffs as of 7 a.m.:

Cal Fire says 692 personnel have been assigned to fight the fire, along with 10 helicopters, 23 engines, eight bulldozers and 16 water tenders.

This is a developing story. Stay with ABC 10News as our team of journalists continues to gather the latest information surrounding this fire.

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A wildfire erupted several miles north of the U.S.- Mexico border in the San Diego area Thursday, quickly blackening scores of open acres as ground and airborne crews worked to quell the flames amid arid and blustery Santa Ana conditions.

The blaze erupted for unknown reasons shortly before 2:30 p.m. Thursday in a remote near Otay Mountain Truck Trail, about a half-mile west of Doghouse Junction in Otay Mountain Wilderness Area, according to Cal Fire.

The blaze spread over steep, rugged terrain as firefighters battled it on the ground and aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters, said Robert Johnson, a fire captain with the state agency.

Within 90 minutes, the burn area had grown to roughly 140 acres, officials reported.

There were no known structural threats, Johnson said. The blaze has now grown to 566 acres. Containment remains at 0%.

Copyright 2025 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Layers of smoke hung over the South Bay on Friday morning after a fast-growing wildfire exploded overnight in the mountains to the east.

The Border 2 Fire, which flared to life yesterday afternoon near Otay Mountain, has now grown to over 5,000 acres. The wildfire has triggered a ripple of evacuation warnings and orders and is continuing to pour smoke into the air above parts of Tijuana and San Diego County.

As firefighters work to slow the blaze, South Bay residents are raising growing concerns about the worsening air quality. Fourteen schools across Chula Vista announced they would be closed on Friday. Others switched to rainy day protocols, keeping their students indoors.

The region’s air quality has cleared up significantly since yesterday, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This morning, their air quality tracker showed a plume of unhealthy air spreading south from Otay Mountain across Tijuana. But at noon, the tracker updated to show mostly moderate air quality.

Still, residents of east Chula Vista said the skies remained hazy Friday afternoon.

Chula Vista resident Juan Escorcia was one of the parents whose kids were home from school today. From his backyard in Eastlake Greens, he said he could see the fire burning over the hills and spilling smoke into the sky.

“I can see ashes flying around,” Escorcia told KPBS early Friday afternoon. “You can extend your arm out and catch ashes on your hand.”

KPBS spoke with Tarik Benmarhnia, an environmental epidemiologist at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, about how you can stay safe until the skies clear.

Wildfire smoke is harmful because the burning reaction produces tiny particles, known as PM 2.5, Benmarhnia said.

Those particles are small enough to breach the oxygen-absorbing tissues in a person’s lungs and enter the bloodstream. There, they can cause inflammation and complicate other conditions like asthma.

The particles that wildfires produce are also especially toxic because these types of fires burn at such intensely hot temperatures, he said. That means smoke from wildfires is harmful, regardless of whether the fire is burning buildings or vegetation.

Benmarnhia said researchers are also currently studying whether wildfire smoke can carry other harmful materials like microorganisms, fungi or heavy metals.

Pregnant people should be especially careful around wildfire smoke, Benmarhnia said. Some studies have found that pregnant women exposed to particulate matter can face a higher risk of preterm births.

Young children should also take special precautions. At an early age, he said, a person’s lungs are still developing and they inhale more air than an adult, which makes them more susceptible to the risks of smoke.

Benmarhnia also warned that people with asthma, diabetes and other cardiovascular conditions should take extra care too, along with people who are isolated from others and people with mental health conditions.

When it comes to staying safe around wildfire smoke, Benmarhnia emphasized that there are many steps you can take to minimize the health risks.

What is the best internet provider in Chula Vista?

Cox is CNET's pick for the best internet provider overall for most households in Chula Vista. It is widely available and offers fiber options in some neighborhoods. But Cox internet service isn't available everywhere in Chula Vista, so AT&T Fiber or Wyyerd are also solid picks, depending on what's available in your area.

We've also found the top options if you're hunting for the lowest prices or fastest speeds. The cheapest internet in Chula Vista is Cox's 100 megabits per second connection for $50 (cable) or $70 (fiber) monthly. The fastest available internet speed in Chula Vista comes from AT&T Fiber and Wyyerd. They offer speeds up to 5,000Mbps: AT&T's option costs $245 per month, while Wyyerd's plan costs $150 monthly.

Best internet in Chula Vista, California

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Chula Vista

Cheap internet options in Chula Vista

Internet plans in Chula Vista start at $30 per month. Cox has a plan at this rate with speeds up to 100Mbps. Next is Verizon Home Internet with its $50 plan which offers typical max speeds ranging up to 100Mbps too. However, you can consider bundling 5G home internet from Verizon or T-Mobile to reduce your monthly internet price. AT&T Fiber enters the discussion at $65 per month for 300Mbps. The best broadband choice for you might not just be about the lowest price. Also consider value, like with Wyyerd’s $65-per-month 600Mbps plan. It’s not the cheapest, but it offers fast, symmetrical speeds for the money.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Chula Vista

The best internet deals and top promotions in Chula Vista depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Chula Vista internet providers, such as Cox, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many providers, including AT&T, Wyyerd and T-Mobile Home Internet, tend to run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promos, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

How fast is Chula Vista broadband?

Chula Vista fared well in a recent Ookla speed test report, showing the city with a median fixed internet download speed of nearly 290Mbps. Compare that to San Diego at about 170Mbps and Los Angeles at 230Mbps. The widespread availability of gigabit and multigigabit speeds across Chula Vista helps with the city’s overall performance. Your personal speed test results may vary with location, equipment or network congestion.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate video conferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the FCC. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Chula Vista

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it's impractical to personally test every internet service provider in a given city. What's our approach? For starters, we tap into a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

It doesn't end there: We go to the FCC's website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP's service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

While the answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, though we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.) and FCC reports.

To explore our process in more depth, visit our how we test ISPs page.

What’s the final word on internet providers in Chula Vista?

Cox’s cable plans face stiff competition in Chula Vista from AT&T Fiber, Wyyerd and Cox’s fiber offerings. If you can get fiber, prioritize that. AT&T Fiber and Wyyerd offer a good bang for your buck with symmetrical upload and download speeds. Wyyerd rules the top end of the speed spectrum with a $150-per-month 5,000Mbps plan that’s significantly cheaper than AT&T Fiber’s equivalent offering.

Internet providers in Chula Vista FAQs