Los Coches fire: Smoke turns blue California sky black, pics surface on social media

CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire tweeted that the fire is “stopped at 5.3 acres and is 5% contained.”

Visuals purportedly showing a massive fire near Los Coches in Lakeside, California, have surfaced on social media. According to CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire, the blaze, which prompted evacuation orders for several areas, has been “stopped at 5.3 acres and is 5% contained.”

Vegetation fire north of Interstate 8 at Los Coches Rd in Lakeside. (X/@CALFIRESANDIEGO)

An individual wrote, “Coches fire,” and shared a picture which shows the black fumes from the fire covering the blue sky.

Another person shared a video, taken from inside a moving vehicle, that shows the smoke rising from the site of the fire.

Here's another tweet:

‘@CALFIRESANDIEGO is at scene with cooperators of a vegetation fire north of Interstate 8 at Los Coches Rd in Lakeside. Fire is 10 acres, moderate rate of spread with structures immediately threatened. Evacuations in progress; please leave the immediate area. #CochesFire,” the fire department wrote a few hours ago informing about the disaster.

In a tweet, posted a little over half an hour ago, the department shared, “#CochesFire. The fire has been stopped at 5.3 acres and is 5% contained.”

The bushfire engulfed multiple structures in the North of Interstate 8 near Los Coches Road⁠, reported NBC 7 San Diego. Reportedly, evacuation orders were issued for “North of Los Coches Road, south of Highway 8 Business, east of Los Coches Road and west of Lake Jennings Park Road and Kumeyaay Highway.”

The San Diego Sheriff shared an update on X about the fire. “#UPDATE @SDSheriff has issued EVACUATION WARNINGS (shaded areas in yellow shown in the maps below) for the #CochesFire in Lakeside. An EVACUATION WARNING means you should be prepared to evacuate. The EVACUATION ORDER remains in place. If you feel you are in danger, GO!”