Story and Photos by Josh Stotler; Miriam Raftery contributed to this report
May 20, 2026 (Campo) – Wind-driven flames crossed Interstate 8, forcing temporary shutdown of the freeway in both directions late yesterday as crews battled the #Tusil Fire in rugged terrain. As of this morning, the number lane on both eastbound and westbound I-8 are reopened, but other lanes remain closed.
Overnight, crews held the fire to 1,000 acres; it is now 25 percent contained.
The Evacuation Order has been lifted for zone SDC-2033 and the Evacuation Warning has been lifted for zone SDC-2324. Evacuation Orders have been reduced to Evacuation Warnings for zones SDC-2169, SDC-2171, SDC-2173, SDC-2325 and SDC-2326, per the Genasys Evacuation Map.
The wildfire was first reported as a 10-acre vegetation fire in the vicinity of the Campo/La Posta tribal reservations around 1:30 p.m. With windy conditions and abundant fuel, that fire grew to 100 acres in an hour and a half.
Tribal crews quickly asked for additional resources and air support. Multiple agencies answered the call including BLM firefighters, Cal Fire, Alpine Fire, Heartland Fire and aerial support from the San Diego County sheriffs office, Cal Fire, SDG&E, Coulson Aircraft and Orange County fire department.
As the wind-driven inferno continued to grow, crews had a hard time battling the flames through thick smoke and dense brush. A key effort was trying to keep the fire from crossing I-8 , a goal that proved to be too much and the fire did cross the highway at several places.
Due to the inaccessible terrain, the bulk of the firefighting was handled by aircraft and Cal Fire dozers. Working together to cut line and lay fire retardant, crews were able to direct the fire away from structures and continue to battle it from the air while firefighters used hand lines to keep it off the highway.
The fire, which grew to 1,000 acres by 6 o’clock in the evening, closed down highways and side streets, making traffic very difficult in the eastern part of San Diego County. Semi-trucks and personal vehicles alike were lined up at the side of the road or turned back by California Highway Patrol and Sheriff’s officers.
Night-flying helicopters were requested but fulfilling the order proved to be difficult. Hand crews will work through the night to cut line and battle the head of the fire. Air resources are lined up to start water and create dent drops at 8:00 am tomorrow morning.
CHP has indicated it will reevaluate lane closures on I-8 at mid-morning today.
This is a continuing incident and this story will be updated as information is obtained.
Josh Stotler is a freelance photojournalist with over 20 years of fire service experience.
Miriam Raftery is the editor of East County Magazine, with over 40 years of journalism experience.
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