BOULEVARD — Evacuation orders for the Tusil Fire in Boulevard, California, were downgraded to warnings as containment reached 55% by Wednesday evening. Most residents were allowed to return to their homes following the downgrade.

The fire broke out at approximately 1 p.m. on Tuesday off the 37000 block of Tusil Road in Boulevard, north of Interstate 8, according to CalFire. By late Tuesday afternoon, the fire jumped Interstate 8 to the south in a few locations and initially spread over the grounds of the Campo Indian Reservation. Sheriff’s deputies evacuated residents from nearby homes on Tuesday, including 15 homes under immediate threat.

By Tuesday evening, the burn area had grown to 1,000 acres, though CalFire later revised that figure downward to 820 acres as of almost 3 p.m. Wednesday based on new flight data. Crews achieved 10% containment on Tuesday, and progress continued overnight. "Fire activity moderated overnight," CalFire San Diego said. "Allowing firefighters to strengthen containment lines and continue making progress toward full containment."

"One outbuilding and a vehicle were damaged, but no residences," said Mike Cornette, a CalFire captain. No injuries were reported in connection with the fire. A temporary shelter for displaced residents was available at the Golden Acorn Casino, located at 1800 Golden Acorn Way, approximately one mile east of the fire.

Interstate 8 was initially shut down in both directions near the burn zone, according to the California Highway Patrol. As of Wednesday morning, at least one lane in each direction had reopened to traffic, though the No. 2 lane in both directions remained closed until further notice. CalFire stated that aircraft were scheduled to begin monitoring the fire at 8:00 a.m. to "assess conditions and provide aerial support to ground resources."