The pungent smell of burning brush wafted across Santee Tuesday afternoon around 3 p.m. as a brush fire in the hills above Carlton Hills grew to about 12 acres before being contained by firefighters.
No homes were burnt, a few fences singed, and no injuries are reported, according to fire authorities. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.
said around 4 p.m. that the fire was contained. Fire crews and two helicopters took about 90 minutes to completely extinguish the fire, according to Heartland Fire.
Residents crowded the streets, those that weren't on the front line with garden hoses and neighborhood from encroaching flames.
I found myself in the same backyard I had been in during a , and neighbors acted rather calmly with flames 15 feet away, most having been through this many times before.
While Santee firefighters led the charge, help came from around the county, including fighters from La Mesa, Lemon Grove and El Cajon. Firefighting helicopters dramatically dropped Santee Lake water in a synchronized fashion on the flames over and over with amazing precision.
Check back later for video, more photos and more information. If you have media you would like to upload, please do!
