Camp Pendleton's Henderson Fire Burns 1,100 Acres and Shuts Down the 5 Freeway
A fast-moving brush fire broke out on the western side of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton on Thursday, October 15, near the intersection of Basilone and Las Pulgas roads in the base's 43 Area, at the crossing of Henderson and Brown streets. Cal Fire logged the Henderson Fire at roughly 10 acres at 2:39 p.m., and about 75 acres four minutes later. KPBS reported that east winds pushed the flames across 100 to 150 acres within roughly 90 minutes. By 5:30 p.m. Cal Fire put the fire at 1,117 acres; its 6:49 p.m. update said 1,118 acres, while base officials were citing about 1,200 acres at 6:15 p.m. FOX 5 San Diego reported the fire had grown past 1,400 acres overnight.
The stretch of Interstate 5 that runs through the base became the most sensitive part of the incident. Shortly after 5 p.m., the California Highway Patrol shut all lanes in both directions along the full 16-mile segment, from Harbor Drive in Oceanside north to Basilone Road, near San Onofre State Beach and the Orange County line. Village News reported the freeway reopening as of 5:45 p.m.; NBC 7 San Diego put the full reopening at about 6 p.m. CHP warned that heavy smoke could affect visibility and said closures might resume depending on conditions. On base, the Las Pulgas Gate was restricted to emergency vehicles, Las Pulgas Road was closed between Stuart Mesa Road and Brown Street, and Stuart Mesa Road to Fire Base Gloria was shut in both directions.
Evacuation orders went out first for the 41 Area, also known as Las Flores, and then for the 43 Area around Las Pulgas. Personnel were directed to the Paige Field House in the 11 Area and the 21 Area gym. The Associated Press reported that roughly 1,400 Marines were evacuated from a section housing multiple units and barracks, including the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion and units such as the 1st and 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance and Combat Logistics. The evacuation order in that area was lifted at around 7 p.m. The base also reported multiple power outages, with the Las Pulgas area affected.
Cal Fire's incident page lists the Camp Pendleton Fire Department as the administering unit under unified command, with the cause still under investigation. As of the 6:49 p.m. update, containment stood at 0 percent, with no civilian or firefighter injuries and no fatalities reported, and no structures listed as destroyed — though structures to the south of the fire were threatened early on. The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District issued a smoke advisory for the southern part of the base and the communities of South Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Carlsbad and Vista, while smoke was visible across much of the county. At least three to four air tankers were assigned; by evening the air attack and tankers were released for the night, with night-flying helicopters continuing water drops on hotspots.
National Weather Service meteorologist Adam Roser said crews fought the blaze in temperatures around 90 degrees with winds of 15 to 25 mph and northeast gusts up to 30 mph. Those dry, east-driven winds pushed the fire from the base's interior toward Interstate 5 and the Pacific, which is why the freeway closure and the smoke advisory landed at the same time. Firefighters at one point worked in the near-90-degree heat.
The closure landed squarely in the evening rush hour. NBC 7's SkyRanger 7 showed a large plume of black smoke casting a shadow over drivers on the 5, and evening footage showed traffic slowing to a crawl as cars were diverted off the interstate. For North County residents the immediate concern was air quality and visibility; for commuters, the risk that the region's main north-south artery could close again, forcing long detours.
The forecast offers little relief. Reporting across several outlets cited predictions that Friday temperatures could climb into the mid-90s with gusts up to 40 mph. Crews planned to work through the night. Officials stressed the situation remains active: acreage, evacuation orders and road closures can all change at short notice, and base personnel, residents and drivers should follow official advisories and trackers such as Watch Duty.