A wind-driven wildfire charred dozens of acres in a sparsely developed area south of Pala Mesa on Wednesday, damaging structures and forcing pre-dawn evacuations before crews could gain the upper hand on the flames.

Lilac Fire initially started today at 1:19 a.m. in San Diego County. It has burned 85 acres after being active for 19 hours. A crew of 66 firefighters succeeded in containing 50% of the fire as of Tuesday evening. Investigations into its cause are still ongoing.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Multiple wildfires broke out in San Diego County (south of Los Angeles) early Tuesday, prompting evacuation orders, school closures and power shutoffs, while officia