Gate fire evacuation orders lifted, criminal investigation ongoing

EAST COUNTY — Hundreds of residents displaced by the Gate fire headed home Monday, as firefighters doused what was left of the blaze and officials continued their criminal investigation into its origins.

The blaze, which sparked about 11:20 a.m. Saturday, scorched 2,056 acres between Jamul and Dulzura and was about 95 percent contained as of Monday evening, Cal Fire officials said.

Cooling temperatures and higher humidity had continued overnight, helping hundreds of firefighters douse the remaining flames.

No structures were destroyed. While no one was injured in the blaze, a Chula Vista police officer was seriously injured while directing traffic away from the flames Saturday afternoon.

Fire officials remained tight lipped about the ongoing criminal investigation. Capt. Issac Sanchez said only that the department was aware of an Instagram video related to the blaze, and that investigators have contacted the person who posted it.

The video, shared by a user named vandalsworld, appears to show the fire ignite while a group was shooting on Bureau of Land Management property near Otay Lakes Road and state Route 94. The footage shows two people standing near some smoking brush and two others running toward it. The grass catches fire soon after.

The poster commented that he did not think the group intentionally started the blaze, and that they called 911 after failing to put it out.

“They were shooting at their target and a flame started (most likely from a spark from their ammo),” he wrote.

Authorities closed several backcountry roads and evacuated the Pio Pico RV Resort and Campground in Jamul as the fire roared through rolling, grassy hills at a “dangerous rate,” Cal Fire said within an hour of its start.

More than 500 people were at the campground when the fire started.

Shifting winds later drove the flames toward Dulzura, prompting some to evacuate. Sheriff’s deputies escorted residents home later than night after the roads were deemed safe.

The Jamul campground wasn’t reopened until Monday morning due to unspecified damage caused during the evacuation process. The fire did not reach the site, fire officials said.

The Red Cross set up an overnight evacuation center at Otay Ranch High School in Chula Vista, which remained open until Monday afternoon.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

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lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

6:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 1:10 p.m.

Originally Published: May 22, 2017 at 9:15 PM PDT