CAMP PENDLETON — A fast-moving brush fire burned hundreds of acres at Camp Pendleton on Thursday, threatening structures and prompting evacuations at the military base near Oceanside.
The blaze erupted shortly before 2 p.m. in the western reaches of the Marine Corps installation, near the intersection of Basilone and Las Pulgas roads, authorities reported.
Pushed by easterly winds, the flames charred roughly 400 acres within 90 minutes and were moving dangerously close to populated areas of the base as ground crews and personnel aboard firefighting aircraft worked to halt their spread, according to Cal Fire.
As of 3:30 p.m., the blaze, dubbed the Henderson Fire, had caused no reported structural damage or injuries but had forced the closure of Las Pulgas Road between Brown Street and Stuart Mesa Road. Additionally, the base’s Las Pulgas Gate was closed to all traffic except emergency vehicles until further notice.
The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.
