City Near San Diego on Evacuation Alert, Several Wildfires Ongoing

Several communities around San Marcos, Calif. were on evacuation alert Wednesday afternoon due to a massive wildfire burning, one of several fires now plaguing the area.

An immediate evacuation for several neighborhoods south of highway 78 were issued, and two local schools were stabled as an evacuation center.

The Los Angeles Times was reporting evacuations at schools, businesses and residences around the San Diego area, while in Carlsbad at least three homes had been destroyed, while several other homes and an apartment building were damaged.

The Tomahawk fire near Camp Pendelton Marine Corps Base had burned roughly 6,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon, while hundreds nearby were evacuated, local fire officials reported.

There were other fires reported in Oceanside, Bonsall and Deer Valley.

Persistent drought conditions over the Western U.S. have caused some experts to express concerns that this year could be the year of the next mega fire for California, with incidents similar to 2007 and 2003 in which hundreds of thousands of acres were burned and several thousand homes were destroyed.

The cost of an early wildfire season may rise as high as $1.8 billion, or nearly $500,000 more than what’s available to control the blazes, according to a report issued at the beginning of May.