A wildfire blackened swaths of hilly high-desert terrain in the far eastern reaches of San Diego County Thursday, posing no immediate structural threats as ground and airborne crews worked to corral the flames.
The blaze erupted for unknown reasons about 1:30 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of San Felipe Road and state Route 78 in the rural Ranchita area, east of Julian, according to Cal Fire.
Within an hour, the slow-moving flames had spread over roughly 15 acres, said Robert Johnson, a fire captain with the state agency. As of 4 p.m., the fire had consumed 50 acres, according to Cal Fire.
Ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters were fighting the blaze, which was moving over steep and rugged open land, Johnson said.
