A fast-moving wildfire that ignited in Fallbrook Friday afternoon forced evacuations and threatened homes, officials said.

The so-called Garden Fire broke out in the 3800 block of Lake Garden Drive around 1:30 p.m. and has burned 47 acres so far, according to Cal Fire San Diego.

“We had a dangerous spread rate so the fire was moving very quickly with dry brush and the wind pushing it,” Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette to NBC 7.

As of 4 p.m., fire officials said the fire was 10% contained and its rate of spread had stopped.

#Gardenfire the updated area is 47 hectares, 10% contained.

— North County Fire Protection District (@NorthCountyFire) November 9, 2024

Evacuations were ordered north of state Route 76, east of Grid Road and almost all the way to Interstate 15. Cornette said about 40 homes had been evacuated as of 4:15 p.m.

An evacuation warning is in effect for some areas north of the flames.

A temporary evacuation point was set up at Riverview Church at 4980 Sweetgrass Lane.

Evacuation updates are available via AlertSanDiego.

There are road closures at Gird Road and Reche Road; Wilt Road and Pala Mesa Drive; and Gird Road and State Route 76.

A large plume of dark smoke dwarfed the surrounding neighborhood, which is home to a number of very large estates, many with tiled roofs that could save the houses. At least one building appeared to be destroyed by the fire, possibly outbuildings.

Aerial equipment, including fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, were involved in fighting the fire, as were ground crews from both Cal Fire and the North County Fire Protection District. Many of the larger houses have clustered together, and the helicopters and planes seemed to paint the perimeter of the brush, protecting the homes. Many fire engines and ground crews were also visible carrying out construction protection. The once large plume of smoke appeared to diminish in size as of 2:30 p.m. as firefighters battled the blaze throughout the afternoon.

“We will be here for several days to make sure we put out hot spots and mitigate any hazards,” Cornette said.

The cause of the garden fire is being investigated.

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A second wildfire in the San Pasqual Valley ignited Friday afternoon, not far from residential areas. That fire started near the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in the 14800 block of San Pasqual Valley Road. Officials said the fire had the potential to burn 10 hectares, but remained at 1 to 2 hectares in size.

A red flag warning for San Diego that had been in effect for days expired at 11 a.m., but that did not reduce the risk of fire.

“We’re fortunate that we’re not in that Santa Ana wind event with the Red Flag Warning. The wind was blowing onshore, which was difficult for us, but the firefighters were able to do a good job today,” Cornette said. the Garden Fire.

Check back here for updates on this breaking news story –Ed.