Vegetation fire near Atascadero elementary school stopped at 40 acres
A vegetation fire that broke out in Atascadero on Monday afternoon burned 40 acres near an elementary school before it was stopped.
The fire, which started just after 2 p.m., sent up a plume of smoke from the 8600 block of San Carlos Road, near San Gabriel Elementary School, according to the emergency response app Watch Duty, which said it had the potential to burn 10 acres.
Within minutes, the fire had grown to two acres in “light, flashy fuels,” according to the app.
Three structures were in the immediate vicinity but were not threatened as of 2:12 p.m.
Fire managers requested two air tankers and two water-dropping helicopters, according to Watch Duty, along with five wildland fire engines.
Cameras on the ALERTCalifornia network showed aircraft dropping retardant on the fire.
Forward progress on the fire was stopped at 3:15 p.m., according to Watch Duty.
This story was originally published August 18, 2025 at 2:23 PM.
