Wildfires raged across San Diego County as night fell Wednesday after record heat, leaving thousands of residents unsure of when, and whether, they might be able to return home.
Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state emergency Wednesday evening, as at least six blazes ravaged more than 9,000 acres, destroyed homes and forced thousands to flee in communities throughout North County.
But Wednesday evening also brought new hopes for firefighters and residents. A much-anticipated massive DC-10 Super Tanker arrived to drop fire retardant on the flames, a high-wind warning expired and several smaller fires were extinguished.
Winds were expected to calm down and weather expected to improve, too, after sunset, though humidity would remain dangerously low, NBC 7's Dagmar Midcap warned.
MAP: Wildfires Burn Across San Diego County
Where residents would go Thursday, though, was still unclear. All schools in San Diego and many in more than 20 nearby cities will be closed Thursday, forcing 130,000 children and teens to stay home. Cal State at San Marcos would remain closed Thursday, too. All three MiraCosta College campuses will be closed on Thursday, May 15. Final examinations on all sites were postponed.
All flights in and out of Palomar Airport are cancelled for Thursday including United Express. The FAA has issued a temporary flight restriction at Palomar Airport overnight.
In San Marcos, the erratic Cocos Fire destroyed at least eight homes and forced the evacuation of Cal State and 21,000 homes, as flames spread down the hillside behind the campus. The school canceled this weekend's commencement ceremonies due to the blazes, too.
That fire was the biggest immediate concern for firefighting crews Wednesday night, officials said, and they planned rare overnight air drops in an effort to best it.
Homes Destroyed, Thousands Evacuated in San Marcos
Further west, the Poinsettia Fire was scorching a twisting path through Carlsbad and its canyons, after it destroyed eight homes and two commercial buildings and damaged an apartment complex Wednesday afternoon.
Greg Skaska lived in the home for more than 30 years and said when he realized the fire was threatening the house, he had no time to grab any personal things.
“No time. We had to leave. But it’s OK. I'm alive," he said.
Poinsettia Fire Destroys Homes in Carlsbad
By far the region's largest fire, the Tomahawk Fire, scorched thousands of acres on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. That fast-moving brush fire prompted evacuations, but military aircraft were making inroads in battling it.
Tomahawk Fire Scorches 6,000 Acres on Camp Pendleton
Hundreds also fled the Highway Fire, as it scorched hundreds of acres in the Bonsall and Fallbrook area of North County.
Fallbrook resident Sam Curreri told NBC 7 he was worried about leaving his home behind. "You've got mementos in there, you've got pictures, you've got clothes. I may only walk out of here with what I've got on, right?" he said.
600-Acre Highway Fire Threatens Bonsall, Fallbrook
In Oceanside, dry brush and heavy vegetation were feeding another wildfire that first broke out in the San Luis Rey River riverbed Wednesday. Residents and an elementary school were urged to evacuated voluntarily, as Oceanside officers went door to door to dozens of homes.
Evacuations Ordered Ahead of Oceanside Fire
And some of North County's most exclusive communities were threatened Wednesday by the Bernardo Fire, as it scorched more than 1,000 acres after first sparking Tuesday. Firefighting crews had made major progress fighting it Wednesday, though, and as of the afternoon it was 50 percent contained.
Santaluz resident Kara Hansen said the fire came "unbelievably" close to homes. She was getting her hair done when she got a phone call about the blaze, and after she got home, she managed to grab only the dogs and her family's passports before a police loudspeaker told her to evacuate.
"It’s time to get outta here," she realized, she said, after she saw thick, black smoke.
Photo Credit: NBC 7