By Reginald Stanley. Posted August 28, 2021, 5:40 PM.

A wildfire, first reported at approximately 12:38 PM on Saturday near Tenaja Road and Cleveland Forest Road, is burning in remote terrain in the southern Santa Ana Mountains west of the foothill communities of La Cresta and De Luz. The fire has been named the Chaparral Fire.

According the CalFire, the Chaparral Fire is zero percent contained as of 5 PM local time and has grown to over 450 acres. The approximate location of the fire is in a remote rugged area of the San Mateo Canyon Wilderness, north of Margarita Peak and Camp Pendleton along the northern border of San Diego County, west of Redonda Mesa. Evacuation orders have been issued for residents north of Tenaja Truck Trail, south of Calle Cielo, east of Calle Collado, and west of Calle Be Bietol. Evacuation warnings are in place residents north of Tenaja Road, west of Calle Pino/Gallop Lane, south of Hombre Lane, and west of Cleveland Forest Road. According to CalFire, the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hot temperatures, dry vegetation, and ongoing drought are creating high risk fire conditions in the region. The Chaparral Fire is one of many wildfires burning across the state of California this weekend. Smoke has spread over much of the inland valleys Saturday afternoon, blowing primarily in a northerly direction. Updates regarding the Chaparral Fire are available at fire.ca.gov.