Firefighters contain fire in remote area of Fallbrook

FALLBROOK – A wildfire charred swaths of hilly open land in the far northern reaches of inland San Diego County this afternoon, sending a column of smoke into the air near Camp Pendleton but posing no structural threats.

The blaze erupted for unknown reasons about 1:30 p.m. in a remote area between Via Ranchitos and Vista Del Lago in Fallbrook, just north of the Santa Margarita River, according to Cal Fire.

Within two hours, the slow-moving, northward-moving flames had blackened roughly 20 acres as crews worked to extinguish the blaze on the ground and aboard firefighting aircraft, the state agency reported.

By 3:30 p.m., personnel had the spread of the fire halted, officials said.

The cause was under investigation.