2 Camp Pendleton Fires Out of Control

Fueled by dry, strong Santa Ana winds, two fires had consumed more than 500 acres of brushland within Camp Pendleton by Tuesday night as fire crews from San Diego and Orange counties sought to head off the blazes before they reached populated areas, officials said.

The San Onofre nuclear power plant was reportedly on a standby alert as the brush fire raced near it, but officials there could not be reached for comment.

The blazes--one at the northern tip of the base, the other in the center--were reported to be burning out of control as of 9:30 p.m., but reports differed over their proximity to military complexes and other buildings.

The wind, reported at up to 40 m.p.h. through the afternoon and evening, spread the two fires quickly.

“The wind is a big factor for us right now,” Camp Pendleton public information officer Cpl. Lynda MacTavish said.

George Mangel of the U.S. Forest Service outpost in San Diego County said the fire at the center of the military installation was “threatening buildings and other military things. We sent a total of 10 engines.”

The more severe of the two blazes started about 8 p.m. and appeared to be centered about a quarter of a mile east of Interstate 5, near the nuclear power plant, slowing traffic on the freeway as drivers watched flames and smoke.

The fire pressed against the northern edge of the base, just south of San Clemente. But, as of about 9:30, MacTavish said, no structures were in danger.