Air attack makes fast work on brush fire in Ramona

Seven acres of brush burned around midday in Ramona on Monday.

A large plume of smoke was visible for miles from the flames burning north of state Route 67 at Rancho Maria Lane, officials said.

The so-called Main Fire burned in an area of light, flashy fuels, authorities said. At least three aircraft were involved in the fire fight and were spotted dropping retardant.

Sky Ranger 7 was over the scene by 12:40, and it appeared that the air and ground attack was making headway, with large, red retardant drops visible around the perimeter.

State Route 67 was closed in both directions between Dye Road and Hope Street, according to Caltrans, presumably to give fire crews room to battle the blaze. It’s not clear when SR-67 would re-open.

Two structures were threatened by the fire at one point, officials said, though no evacuations were called for.

By 12:45, both air tankers and one firefighting helicopter were released from the scene. Bulldozers, which were originally called out to help contain the fire, were also canceled by incident command. A short time later, officials said forward progress by the fire had been stopped.

Check back here for updates on this breaking news story — Ed.