By Karen Kucher | karen.kucher@sduniontribune.com | The San Diego Union-Tribune
A brush fire in Shelter Valley ignited Sunday afternoon and charred around 68 acres in Anza-Borrego State Park before fire crews on the ground and in the air halted its forward progress.
The fire was reported around 2:20 p.m. in a rural area near state Route 78 and San Felipe Road in the northeastern part of San Diego County. It was burning in a dry creek bed inside the state park, and did not threaten any homes or prompt any evacuations, said Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette.
"We had a large response," Cornette said, that included air tankers and helicopters as well as firefighters from Cal Fire/San Diego County, the U.S. Forest Service and state parks. In all, around 135 personnel were assigned.
By 5:10 p.m., forward progress of the fire was halted and all air resources were released.
For awhile, the fire was burning along the main highway connecting Julian and Borrego Springs in San Diego's backcountry. The cause of the blaze was not immediately determined.