Two other fires burned farther south near San Diego and Oceanside, officials said.
They are both smaller — 85 acres for the Lilac fire near Oceanside and 3.9 acres for the Bernard fire — but burned in populated areas. Fire crews appeared to have both fires under control, with evacuation orders largely lifted and forward traffic halted.
In Los Angeles County, local news reports showed people near the Hughes fire dousing their homes and yards with water, while others rushed to evacuate their neighborhoods.
The orange flame lined the mountains like the plane dropped water and fire retardant.
The region is again under red flag warning of high fire danger due to high winds and dry conditions with low humidity.
Winds in the area are 20 to 30 miles per hour, but are forecast to increase throughout the day, which could cause the fire to spread and make it more difficult for aircrews to continue the battle from above.
One woman who evacuated her home told NBC 4 she was stuck on Interstate 5, which cuts through the area and runs north and south through California.
“It looked like a cloud, but as you got closer it looked like we were going to hell,” she said of the dark smoke and red flames she saw. “Honestly, it was pretty terrifying.”
She admitted to being on edge after watching the Palisades and Eaton fires burn, killing at least 28 people and destroying more than 10,000 homes and businesses.
“I don’t know why they keep showing up,” she said. “It’s definitely a scary time in this area.”
