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In addition to the 12 confirmed deaths, there are unconfirmed reports of more fatalities, Sheriff Bill Kohlender said. Some of those killed were found in their cars and others had died in their homes, said the sheriff. The county medical examiner was investigating all of the deaths, he added.
"Winds are heavy," Kohlender said at a news conference. "This fire is a danger to the entire community."
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Communities under siege from the flames included Ramona, Eucalyptus, Woodlake, Murphy Canyon, Tierrasanta, San Carlos, Alpine, Kearny Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Chula Vista, Rancho Bernardo, Alpine and Fairbanks Ranch.
Officials said at least three fires were currently burning in the north, central and southern parts of the county. The largest blaze, dubbed the Cedar Fire, had raged through 120,000 acres, and high winds continued to spread it on multiple fronts, according to the California Department of Forestry. Officials estimated that about 100 homes had been destroyed in Ramona, 150 in Scripps Ranch and 50 in Valley Center. Many other homes had burned in other areas, including Tierrasanta and Flynn Springs, NBC 7/39 reported.
Late Sunday afternoon, San Diego Mayor Dick Murphy asked all employers in the city of San Diego to give employees Monday off because of the fire. In addition, most school districts in the affected areas will be closed, including San Diego City Schools, Grossmont Union, Cajon Valley schools. Check our closure announcements for a complete list.
The Paradise Fire was burning in the Valley Center area. It had blackened about 8,000 acres and destroyed at least 160 buildings, including 52 homes, according to NBC 7/39. Authorities said that the Paradise Fire was now moving toward Escondido and Deer Springs.
A third fire, this one called the Mine Fire, was burning near state Route 94 in the Dulzara area close to the U.S.-Mexico border. More than 15,000 acres had reportedly been burned by that fire, NBC 7/39 reported. Fire officials reported around 4 p.m. that Mine Fire had crossed the border into Mexico, but that they expected to contain the fire by Thursday. It was also burning on the shores of Otay Lakes, due east of several new developments in Chula Vista.
Skies throughout most of the region have been darkened by the huge clouds of smoke and ash from the fires. Embers could be seen falling from all directions as residents made their way to safety. Ash from the fires was seen drifting to the ground as far away as downtown San Diego.
Residents are being advised to stay indoors to avoid the smoky air. Motorists are driving with their headlights on due to the thick black clouds of smoke darkening the area.
"There was a fire all over the hillside by our house about 1:10 this morning," said evacuated resident Jeffrey Shults. "They knocked on the door and told us to evacuate immediately and not to grab anything, just family. Period."
San Diego Gas & Electric has shut off power to the areas associated with the wildfires. SDG&E officials also said they had lost a major transmission line because of the fire and that power demands upon the system were reaching critical levels and they were urging area residents to conserve power.
Officials told people to call 911 only if their problem was an emergency. People with non-emergency fire-related questions should call (619) 570-1070. County residents were being urged to stay inside and off the roads, and to limit water usage as much as possible as well. Windows and chimney flues should be closed to prevent embers from entering the home.
Thousands of people were being evacuated to shelters in Ramona, Qualcomm Stadium, Chula Vista, Mira Mesa and Valley Center.
The Cedar Fire started Saturday east of Ramona. Kohlender said officials had received unconfirmed reports that the fire may have been started in the Pines area near Julian when a lost hunter set a signal fire.
The fire spread westward through Barona and Moreno Valley, jumping Highway 67 at Johnson Lake Road. A mandatory evacuation was ordered at about midnight for the San Diego Country Estates community in Ramona. Sunday morning, the fire was raging around Eucalyptus Hills -- a heavily populated area -- and was making its way toward Lakeside.
A branch of the Cedar Fire was burning in Santee Lakes near the Bonita Parkway. Another finger had worked its way south to the Blossom Valley and Flynn Springs area near Interstate 8. Thousands of other homes and structures were threatened by the fire's multiple fronts.
The Cedar fire took less than an hour to burn from Highway 67 west to Interstate 15, quickly leaping that highway and igniting portions of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The fire burned along the runways of Miramar and then leapt over state Route 52, moving toward Tierrasanta. The fire also burned into Mission Trails Regional Park in the Mission Gorge area, prompting evacuations in the San Carlos neighborhood along Mission Gorge Road from Princess View to Golfcrest.
Around 4:30 p.m., officials reported that the fire had jumped Interstate 8 back near where the fire began and that portions of the the Harbison Canyon area were on fire. Officials said that some homes in Alpine were also involved in the blaze.
Fire officials were urging people in the path of the fire to evacuate one of the following centers:
- Ramona Performing Arts Center at the Ramona High School, 1401 Hanson Lane (760) 788-5000
- Olive Pierce Middle School, 1542 Hanson Lane, Ramona (full)
- Valley Center High School location has been changed to St. Peters Catholic Church, 540 South Stagecoach Lane, Fallbrook
- Mira Mesa High School, 10510 Reagan Road (Scripps Ranch residents)
- Section A, Qualcomm Stadium (Tierrasanta residents from Santo Road, Portobello Drive and Antigua Road)
- Bonita Vista High School, 751 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista
- Military families from the Ramona, Eucalyptus, Woodlake, Murphy Canyon and Pomerado Terrace areas are being urged to go to emergency shelters at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Naval Air Station North Island, Naval Station San Diego at 32nd Street, Submarine Base Point Loma and the Admiral Kidd Barracks on North Harbor Drive. They can also call emergency-evacuation numbers at (619) 556-9396 or (619) 556-7483.
Flights in and out of Lindbergh Field were canceled Sunday afternoon because of the massive amounts of smoke in the air.
Officials said the Paradise Fire began near Valley Center in the Boucher Heights area of the Rincon Reservation. A fire chief on the scene told NBC7/39 that he personally had seen at least three people who had been killed by the fire.
The Red Cross has an evacuation center at St. Peters Catholic Church, 540 South Stagecoach Lane, Fallbrook. Large animals can be evacuated to Aerie Park at Aerie Road and Betsworth.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department said that its communications center is operating in emergency mode and will only be answering emergency calls only for during the crisis.
Toward the north, the fire burning at Camp Pendleton had reportedly burned nearly 5,000 acres and was 75 percent contained, reported fire officials. Six injuries were reportedly caused by the blaze.
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