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Photo left: View from Mason Valley near Butterfield Ranch, by Brett Stallbaum

Update July 6, 2013 5:00 p.m. -- The fire is now 500 acres and Cal-Fire has entered into a unified command with the U.S. Forest Service. The blaze is burning approximately nine miles east of Julian. Firefighters have been dispatched to scene from Riverside for mutual aid.

From Julian, investigative reporter Lisa Elkins Goodman e-mailed EMC late this afternoon: "The fire is at Storm Canyon and hit the top of the slope in 15 mins. Tankers and helo's were dropping to make a break. Fire trucks and Fire Fighters were staging along the road getting ready for it to hit Sunrise Highway. The smell and ash raining down."

Update 2:28 p.m. - Cal Fire has issued an extended attack designation for the Chariot Fire. CHP has ordered Sunrise Highway shut down, per CHP site. Also Brush Fire Party Line is tracking this fire and reports a shut-down from Kwaaymii Point on Sunrise Highway to the Highway 79 turnoff. There are photos and eyewitness reports here:

Update 2:20 p.m. The fire is burning toward Sunrise Highway, up from the desert floor. Air drops are occurring and additional aerial tankers have been requested.

July 6, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – A fast-growing vegetation fire east of Julian near highway S-2 has swelled to 50 acres as of 1:43 p.m. The blaze began at 1:01 p.m., according to Cal-Fire.

Currently no structures are threatened and cause is under investigation. You can follow this breaking news through Cal-Fire on Twitter with the hashtag #Chariotfire. Additional resources are en route. Incident Page Network described the location as Chariot Cany on, which is near Banner Grade in the vicinity of Butterfield Ranch near Orriflamme Canyon in the desert (TB Map 1136 C-7)

If you have information or photos of this fire please email editor@eastcountymagazine.org and also post below for our readers.

Photo, left: fire at Storm Canyon; Lisa Elkins Goodman