The Gate Fire was a
wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identi ...
that burned in the
Dulzura area southeast of
Jamul along
Highway 94 in the southern part of
San Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
in May 2017. Within the day, the fire spread from an initially reported to then in a matter of a few hours, as the fire was pushed by strong winds and dry grasslands mixed with chaparral. The wildfire resulted in evacuation of 500 campers from the Pio Pico RV Resort and Campground. Highway 94 was also closed to the public due to the fire. The fire was named the Gate incident due to its proximity to a landmark pink gate in the Dulzura area.
Events
Around 11:20 am on May 20, the fire was first reported burning with a moderate-to-rapid rate of spread near Highway 94 and Otay Lakes Road. Initially reported at 10 acres, the fire soon ballooned from 500 to then 800 acres by 5:55 pm that day. Road closures were put into effect on Highway 94 from Honey Springs Road to
Highway 188, and on Otay Lakes Road. A Red Cross shelter was set up at
Otay Ranch High School for evacuated residents and campers from the
Dulzura and Thousand Trails campground area. A Chula Vista police officer who was directing traffic near the Gate Fire was struck by a vehicle and seriously injured as a result.
The Gate fire was declared 100% contained on May 23, after consuming a total 2,056 acres.
Cause
On May 20, California officials launched a criminal investigation into the cause of the Gate fire, citing a video posted on Instagram showing the fire igniting with a group of people running away from the scene.
The investigation into the exact cause of the fire remains undetermined.
References
{{wildfire-stub
2017 California wildfires
Wildfires in San Diego County, California
May 2017 events in the United States