Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton Revised Up to 3,132 Acres; Containment Holds at 20%
SAN DIEGO COUNTY — CAL FIRE updated the official figures for the Henderson Fire, the brush fire burning at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, at 6:35 a.m. on Saturday, October 17: following the latest mapping, the fire's size has been revised up from 2,079 acres to 3,132 acres — an increase of 1,053 acres, or about 51%. Containment remains at 20%. It is the largest single upward revision of the fire's acreage since it began on October 15.
Against Friday evening's figures, item by item: acreage rose from 2,079 to 3,132; containment held at 20%, the figure CAL FIRE first reported at 6:12 p.m. on October 16 after more than a day at zero containment; evacuations saw no new changes — officials issued no new evacuation orders or warnings, the order for the base's Las Flores (41 Area) had already been lifted at 7:31 p.m. on October 15, temporary evacuation points remain at the Paige Field House in the 11 Area and the 21 Area Fitness Center, and no evacuation orders have been issued for surrounding off-base communities at any point. On damage and injuries, officials still report no destroyed structures and no injuries as of Saturday morning's update, and the cause remains under investigation.
On suppression, CAL FIRE said in its evening update that the San Diego County Incident Management Team has been assigned to support the Henderson Fire across command, operations, planning, logistics and finance, and that firefighters will continue building containment lines, extinguishing hot spots and addressing hazards. Rugged terrain and strong Santa Ana winds remain the biggest challenges. The Camp Pendleton Fire Department holds jurisdiction over the fire, with CAL FIRE, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and Caltrans among the cooperating agencies.
On roads, Interstate 5 — twice closed in both directions because of flames and smoke — fully reopened at 5:14 p.m. on October 16, and Saturday morning's official update mentioned no new closure. A second blaze, the Scales Fire, which ignited on October 16 along I-5 near the San Onofre checkpoint in the same general area, was stopped at approximately 20 acres.
The Henderson Fire was first reported at 2:35 p.m. on October 15 near Henderson Street and Brown Street, close to Basilone Road and Las Pulgas Road, in the western part of Camp Pendleton. Pushed by easterly winds, it grew to roughly 400 acres within 90 minutes and was mapped at 1,404 acres that evening, prompting the 41 Area evacuation order and the first closure and reopening of I-5. By midday Friday it had reached 2,080 acres — later revised by mapping to 2,079 acres — with containment still at zero and I-5 closed in both directions for a second time. By Friday evening, containment had climbed to 20% and the freeway was fully open. As of Saturday morning, official mapping has revised the burned area up to 3,132 acres, with containment holding at 20%.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Henderson Fire 态势图，Watch Duty 截图（10月16日13时50分截取，局部裁切）。图中红色周界为截取时的火场范围（2,079.4英亩），西南侧橄榄色区域为疏散分区；最新官方数据以加州消防局10月17日清晨通报为准：过火面积3,132英亩、控制率20%。图片来源：Watch Duty。Situation map of the Henderson Fire, Watch Duty screenshot taken at 1:50 p.m. on Oct. 16 (cropped). The red perimeter reflects mapping at capture time (2,079.4 acres), with the evacuation zone shaded olive at the southwest; the latest official figures, per CAL FIRE's update on the morning of Oct. 17, are 3,132 acres and 20% containment. Source: Watch Duty.
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- 2026-10-17Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton Revised Up to 3,132 Acres; Containment Holds at 20%This story
- 2026-10-17Follow-Up: Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton Reaches 50% Containment at 3,160 Acres
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- 2026-10-18Follow-Up: Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton Reaches 65% Containment as Crews Move to Mop-Up
- 2026-10-19Follow-Up: Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton Reaches 95% Containment; Size Revised to 3,260 Acres on Precise Mapping
- 2026-10-19Update: Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton Reaches 100% Containment at 3,260 Acres
