I-8 is closed as Cal Fire battles brush fires

SAN DIEGO — A two-acre brush fire broke out near the border Sunday evening, prompting partial road closures to Interstate 8 through San Diego County.

Cal Fire crews responded to the devastating fire, nicknamed the Miller Fire, along I-8 near the town of Boulder Oaks around 7:30 p.m. According to the fire department, the fire grew moderately, but the emergency services were able to stop it from spreading forward and contain it by 8:30 p.m

Crews are expected to remain on scene over the next few hours extinguishing hot spots, Cal Fire said in a statement Post on Xformerly known as Twitter.

According to Cal Trans, the far right lane of eastbound I-8 between La Posta and Crestwood was closed as a result of the fire. It is unknown how long the closure will last.

The Miller Fire is the second blaze to ignite on Sunday, both coming before the peak of Santa Ana’s first significant wind event this year.

The first bushfire – dubbed the Border 34 Fire – broke out near Lower Otay Lake around 4pm and burned over 20 hectares before emergency crews were able to stop its spread. According to Cal Fire, the flames were 60% contained as of 8:30 p.m.

Gusty, high-speed easterly winds are expected to continue through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.