Brush fire east of Pala resort grows to more than 180 acres, prompts evacuations

A view of the Henderson Fire near Pala as captured by the Alert California system. (Photo courtesy of Cal Fire San Diego) Firefighters are working to extinguish a fast moving brush fire that erupted north of state Route 76, prompting evacuation orders according to Cal Fire. Flames were reported at 5:45 p.m. burning in grass and brush with a moderate rate of spread east of the Pala Casino Spa Resort, off Henderson Road. By 6:45 p.m. the burn area had increased to between 30 and 40 acres, with flames moving to the northwest, but the total soon jumped to more than 180 acres. The blaze, Cal Fire said, is most active on its eastern flank. Despite the growth of the burn area, according to the nonprofit fire monitoring service Watch Duty, crews reported progress, particularly on the right edge of the fire. Helicopters and fixed-wing tankers have responded to the scene, along with ground crews. Structures are threatened, officials said. Zones being evacuated are directly north and east of the fire, and include Chief Mountain and areas approaching Heriot Mountain. The zone is roughly bounded on the north by the Pechanga Reservation, the south by SR-76, the west by Pala Temecula Road and Pala Creek and on the east by Agua Tibia Creek. Evacuees are being sent to the parking lot at the Pala casino, 11154 Hwy. 76. Evacuation warnings have been issued to surrounding communities, mostly east and north – extending into Riverside County – of the current evacuation zone. The warnings to the east include parts of the Pauma and Yuima Reservation. The North County Fire Protection District, meanwhile, posted a notice on social media that officials have sent a unit to support firefighters. “Smoke may be visible,” they said, “but there is no fire threat to our district at this time.” The cause is under investigation. #HendersonFire A wildfire is burning near the 35000 block of Henderson Road in the Pala area. An EVACUATION ORDER is in place for the shaded areas in red shown in the maps below. It means everyone in the impacted area must leave immediately.An EVACUATION WARNING is in place… pic.twitter.com/ocMQqnV5iK— San Diego Sheriff (@SDSheriff) May 31, 2025 City News Service contributed to this report.