San Diego, United States - November 01, 2024 A fire that burned 40 acres in the Fairmount Avenue and Montezuma Road area near the San Diego State University campus is now 80% contained as of Friday afternoon. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department provided the update on X, formerly known as Twitter, at 4:45 p.m. The blaze has damaged six homes, prompting mandatory evacuation orders for local residents, who were allowed to return home around 9 p.m. Thursday night. However, as of Friday morning, Montezuma Road between Collwood Boulevard and Fairmount Avenue remains closed. The eastbound Interstate 8 off-ramp to southbound Fairmount Avenue, previously closed during firefighting efforts, reopened to traffic around 7 p.m. Thursday, according to Caltrans. Three engine companies will continue to patrol the area overnight to monitor for flare-ups, with crews set to address the remaining 20% of the fire on Saturday for full containment. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department commended the firefighters, stating, "Stellar work by all firefighters who responded to the #fairmountfire. Your heroic efforts saved neighborhoods during very challenging conditions!" They also expressed gratitude to all agencies that came to assist from across the county.