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SPRING VALLEY LAKE, Calif. (VVNG.com) — Republic restaurant is temporarily closed after an electrical fire destroyed its banquet room earlier this week, and the business is now working toward a partial reopening.

The fire was reported around 9:20 p.m. on Tuesday, September 17, 2025, at Republic, located at 13261 Spring Valley Parkway, Suite #102. No injuries were reported in the incident.

In a message posted to the restaurant’s official Facebook page on the morning of September 19, owner Ron Mather confirmed the fire started in the back room of the restaurant and caused significant damage.

“First and foremost no one was hurt and really that’s the only important thing,” Mather wrote. “Unfortunately, the back room/banquet room was totally destroyed.”

Mather said Republic is currently closed while they work with the San Bernardino County Fire Department, the County of San Bernardino, Southern California Edison, and the building’s owner to isolate the damaged area and address smoke and water damage in the main dining room.

“We hope to be reopened in the main room sometime this weekend, but will keep everyone informed of our progress,” he stated.

Mather also thanked the community for their support, saying, “We want to thank so many of you for reaching out and making sure that Melissa and I and our staff were all OK. That means so much during this difficult time.”

The restaurant remains closed until repairs are complete and it is safe to reopen.

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Management of mop-up operations was transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service because the fire was on that agency's land.

SPRING VALLEY, CA — A fast-moving hillside brush fire near Sweetwater Reservoir that forced evacuations before ground and airborne crews were able to stop its progress was 50% contained Sunday, according to CalFire.

The Lodge Fire erupted for unknown reasons off Jamacha and Sweetwater Springs boulevards in Spring Valley shortly before 2 p.m. Friday, the state agency said.

Within 45 minutes, the flames, which were exhibiting a "critical rate of spread," had blackened about 30 open acres, the state agency reported.

Authorities cleared people out of homes and businesses near the burn zone as ground crews and personnel aboard air tankers and water-dropping helicopters worked to douse the fire amid temperatures in the mid-80s.

Covered by the mandatory evacuation order were homes and businesses along Bar Bit Road, Buggywhip Drive, Coach Drive, Doubletree Road, Hansom Lane, Hobble Lane, Lamplighter Village Drive, Singletree Lane, Trace Road, Via Cordova, Via Flora, Via Granada, Via Laguna, Via Lampara, Via Madera, Via Solana, Via Tortola, Wagon Wheel Drive, Whippletree Lane, and First through 10th streets.

A temporary shelter for the displaced was operating at Skyline Church in La Mesa, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office announced.

The evacuation order was later downgraded to a warning as conditions improved and was ultimately lifted.

The fire had burned 75 acres as of early Sunday, Cal Fire reported.

There were no reports of structural damage or injuries.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation, Cal Fire Capt. Robert Johnson said.

Management of mop-up operations was transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service because the fire was on that agency's land.

— City News Service

Crews were responding Friday afternoon to a fast-moving brush fire in Spring Valley that was threatening structures and forcing evacuations.

The 75-acre blaze — dubbed the Lodge Fire — started at 2 p.m. and was initially estimated to be about 4 acres when crews arrived at a location near Jamacha Boulevard and Double Tree Road, near the Sweetwater Dam. In about 30 minutes, it had grown to 30 acres with the potential for 200-300 acres, according to Cal Fire.

The fire was spreading at a critical rate, forcing evacuations, but had then slowed to a moderate rate of spread before crews stopped the forward progress by 3:40 p.m., fire officials said. As of 7 p.m., it was 25% contained.

An evacuation order, which has since been lifted, was in effect for the neighborhood at the base of Mount Miguel, southeast of Jamacha Boulevard. Evacuees were urged to retreat to Skyline Church at 11330 Campo Rd., La Mesa. You can find updated evacuation information on Genasys Protect's website.

Cal Fire spokesperson Robert Johnson told NBC 7 the fire was pushing east, away from the neighborhood impacted by evacuations. It was burning in an area with rolling hills and heavy brush, fire officials said, adding that the fire was being fueled by topography and offshore winds.

NBC 7 meteorologist Greg Bledsoe reported it was about 84 degrees with 3 mph winds near the fire shortly before 3 p.m.

"We just have so much fuel out there. It has been so dry. We're coming off of a very dry, non-rainy season," he said. "That, of course, makes it easy for a fire to burn even when the weather conditions aren't necessarily pushing it."

Cal Fire called in additional resources and was working in collaboration with the San Miguel Fire Department and the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

The agency also called in several firefighting aircraft, which could be seen circling the area, targeting flames with water drops as dark, red smoke filled the sky.

About 115 personnel were aiding in the firefight with about 16 fire engines, three water tenders and three helicopters.

SkyRanger 7 showed ground crews shoulder-to-shoulder cutting a containment line around portions of the blaze. Cal Fire said all crews were "actively engaged," and asked residents to avoid the area.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took over the incident on Friday night since the blaze is in its jurisdiction, Cal Fire said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This is a developing story. Details may change as information is released.

The 75-acre fire was reported around 2 p.m. on Friday near Jamacha Blvd. An evacuation order was issued but has since been lifted.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Fire crews battled a brush fire called the Lodge Fire that quickly burned along a hillside against Jamacha Boulevard in Spring Valley and spread to 75 acres.

The fire sent large plumes of smoke into the air that could be seen miles away. It had the potential to grow to 200-300 acres, but crews contained the worst parts of the blaze within an hour. The forward rate of spread has stopped and as of 10 p.m. the fire was 35% contained.

Nearly 800 homes were in the immediate area of concern.

“It was the scariest thing I've ever seen,” said Ruth Castro, a resident who lives nearby.

Castro was working from home when a neighbor called to let her know there was a fire.

“I came out and I just saw like 30 height in feet 30 feet height, flames and not even smoke. It was just fire and I ran in the house and evacuated my children, my in-laws, my dogs and called my husband,” Castro said.

An evacuation order was issued shortly after the fire started, but was lifted as of 4 p.m.

CalFire has built a list of things to have ready in case you and your family are evacuated during any wildfire or disaster.

Ensure your wildfire ‘Go Bag’ includes:

If time allows, consider adding:

When wildfires break out across San Diego County, emergency officials use technical terms like "containment" and "forward rate of spread" that can confuse residents trying to understand the threat level. CBS 8 visited CAL FIRE headquarters and spoke with Cal Fire Captain Robert Johnson to decode the terminology that could help residents better assess their safety during wildfire emergencies.

Contained:

Johnson said "contained" means the fire is surrounded by barriers — either fire lines built by crews or natural breaks like roads, lakes and ridges.

When officials report a fire is "25% contained," barriers surround a quarter of the fire's perimeter. But Johnson warns that doesn't mean the fire is 25% extinguished.

"If you have 25% containment, 50% containment, it doesn't mean that we're out of the woods yet. It doesn't mean we're safe. It doesn't mean the fire is completely extinguished, so there still are hot spots that tend to be burning within the perimeter," Johnson said.

The forward rate of spread has been stopped:

Containment percentages can remain static while a fire continues growing, depending on whether the "forward rate of spread has stopped."

"The fire activity has been reduced, and the fire is not actively growing in size. This does not mean the fire is contained or controlled. It just means that the predominant active side of the fire is not actively growing," Johnson explained.

Controlled:

A "controlled" fire means 100% containment with flames extinguished and fuel cleared, though crews continue monitoring for hot spots.

"Once those hot spots are extinguished and safe, then the incident commander may say the fire is now under control," Johnson said.

Out:

Finally, "out" means no hot spots or smoke remain.

"Once a fire has 100% containment lines around the perimeter of the fire and all the hot spots within the fire's perimeter have been extinguished and the fire is controlled, now the fire is considered to be out," Johnson said.

Evacuation orders, warnings:

WATCH RELATED: How to know when it's time to go during a wildfire:

What factors contribute to high fire danger in Southern California?

Santa Ana Winds occur when air from the desert region blows westward toward the California coast. This results in dry air that flows est to west over the mountains and towards the valleys and coast of Southern California. Santa Ana winds typically feel warm because as the cool desert air moves down the side of the mountain, it is compressed, which causes the temperature of the air to rise. We tend to see relative humidity plummet and temperatures soar during offshore wind events like this.

These winds create high fire conditions not only for a fire to start but offshore, Santa Ana winds are the perfect fan needed to allow a fire to explode in size once it starts.

The water year restarts every year on October 1 and measures the rain totals for the season through the following September. When rain totals are below average, the vegetation that once was green turns brown and dry and can serve as fuel for wildfires. The saturated ground can help mitigate fire risk substantially, but the opposite tends to elevate our fire risk. The sooner and more frequently we see substantial rainfall, the lower our risk of a wildfire starting and spreading rapidly.

When a region is in critical fire danger, power companies tend to shut off power in pre-planned ways in order to prevent electrical equipment from sparking or starting fires. It is also because electric consumption tends to climb with warmer temperatures (usually thanks to A/C needs) and can lead to overall stress on the power grid. When you combine the risk of fire with planned power shut-offs, many school districts will close. Schools can also be used as monitoring sites for fire crews in the event of a fire starting.