Evacuations ordered amid forest fire in Cleveland National Forest near Lake Henshaw
Jul 31, 2026
What to KnowAcres: 80Evacuation orders and warnings issued. For a map, click hereEvacuation point: Casino Pauma, located at 777 Pauma Reservation Rd., Pauma Valley, CA 92061Road closures: East Grade Road at Highway 76
A wildfire spread through Cleveland National Forest near Lake Henshaw Friday, b
lackening dozens of acres and prompting evacuation orders, warnings and closing a highway in the rural area.
The blaze, dubbed the Grade Fire, erupted about 1:30 p.m. Friday off the 25700 block of East Grade Road, north of state Route 76 and just west of Lake Henshaw in Santa Ysabel, according to Cal Fire.
The Grade Gire closed East Grade Road at Highway 76 to all vehicle traffic except emergency personnel.
By about 5 p.m., evacuation orders and warnings had been issued for areas around the fire. For a map of those areas, click here.
An evacuation point has been set up at Casino Pauma, located at 777 Pauma Reservation Rd., Pauma Valley, CA 92061.
Ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters attacked the flames, which were moving to the northeast, federal forestry officials reported.
As of 4 p.m., the burn area had grown to 80 acres and is burning at a dangerous rate of spread, according to the state agency.
It was not immediately clear what sparked the blaze.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information arrives.
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