A fire burning in a southern California forest east of San Diego has doubled in size over the past 24 hours, scorching some 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres), state fire officials said Tuesday.
The blaze, which spread through the Cleveland National Forest 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of San Diego, was believed ignited Sunday by a campfire set by illegal immigrants who had crossed the Mexican border to the south, according to the California Department of Forestry (CDF).
Nearly 800 firefighters backed up by helicopters, air tankers, and 100 fire engines had only gotten about five percent of the blaze under control, with high temperatures and blustery winds hampering their efforts in the mountainous area, department spokeswoman Roxanne Provaznik said.
The blaze has not damaged buildings but several small communities were evacuated as the flames approached.
"As the day heats up, we expect the same parts of the fire to come to life," she said.
Forest and brush fires break out in Western states every year, with a major blaze in California killing at least 22 people in 2003.
