Wildfire breaks out at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California

CALIFORNIA – A wildfire erupted on a U.S. Military Base in Southern California on Wednesday, rapidly growing to more than 500 acres within a matter of hours.

Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, a 125,000-acre training facility between Los Angeles and San Diego, saw part of its grounds engulfed by a wildfire Wednesday morning.

The blaze triggered a response from a coalition of local and state fire engines in the San Diego County area around 10 a.m. PST.

According to CalFire, as of 3:54 p.m. PST, the blaze had scorched 560 acres and was 0% contained.

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The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Surrounding communities and base residents saw smoke as the fast-moving fire threatened critical infrastructure on the base with active fire behavior and spot fires, CalFire said.

A Cal Fire C-130 air tanker dropped fire retardant on the blaze, dubbed the November Fire because the initial response came from the Camp Pendleton Fire Department near the base's November Training Area.

The blaze triggered evacuations that included a nearby golf course and the San Diego Humane Society in Oceanside that have since been lifted.

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Mandatory evacuations were issued but have since been lifted, officials said.

As of 10:30 p.m., the blaze is 50% contained, and CalFire said it's no longer growing in size. All CalFire resources were sent home Wednesday night.