600 firefighters, eight aircraft continue to battle Thorn fire in East County

Karen Kucher, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Jul 16, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SAN DIEGO — With three helicopters making water drops overnight, firefighters made good progress on a fire that began Wednesday near Boulevard, California, forcing evacuations and charring about 1,200 acres of brush.

By Thursday morning, forward progress of the Thorn fire was halted and crews reported having 10% containment on the blaze, which ignited around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday.

The fire broke out near Buckthorn Trail and Old Highway 80, crossing Interstate 8 and burning east. Its forward progress was halted just west of McCain Valley Road, officials said.

For several hours on Wednesday, the fire forced the closure of Interstate 8 between Crestwood Road and Ribbonwood Road, with vehicles being diverted to state Route 94. Shortly after 9 p.m., Caltrans reported on X that one lane of I-8 was reopened in both directions.

About 600 firefighters were on the fire Thursday, with crews continuing to douse hot spots and build containment lines. Firefighters on the ground will be assisted by eight aircraft assigned to the blaze, including three air tankers and four helicopters, said Cal Fire Capt. Oscar Sotelo.

Firefighters made good progress overnight as winds died down and temperatures cooled. But things will be warming up again Thursday.

“The wind is starting to pick up… It is warm,” Sotelo said early Thursday, noting that the National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat advisory for the area. “We are hoping the firefighters will take advantage before the peak of the day.”

So far, no structural damage has been reported, although inspection teams were planning to scout the area Thursday.

He said fire officials expect the fire to burn for several more days. “We will keep plugging away on the containment line,” he said.

An evacuation center for residents, with pets welcome, was set up at Golden Acorn Casino at 1800 Golden Acorn Way in Campo. The evacuation orders in place cover around 780 residents, county officials said.

Although the fire was not currently threatening any homes, Sotelo said evacuated residents need to stay away until the danger is mitigated and SDG&E crews determine the fire hasn’t affected any power lines.

“The biggest thing is just safety,” he said. “We hate to tell them they can go back in while there are still hot spots.”