Worst fire San Diego, and California, have ever seen

San Diego:

San Diego-area officials said at a briefing Tuesday night that about 200,000 acres had burned in the county and mandatory evacuation orders had gone out to 560,000 residents. Of those, about 50,000 have been allowed to return to their homes, mostly in Scripps Ranch, Poway and Del Mar. Firefighters said shifting winds had made the fire increasingly unpredictable.

"This was going to be, and is, probably, the worst fire this county and state has ever seen," said San Diego County Sheriff William B. Kolender. "It is extremely difficult and very hard to solve something that you cannot control. I think it will end up okay. None of us really know."

Officials also said that Tijuana fire officials offered Tuesday to bring 34 firefighters and equipment over the border to help out. The offer was accepted immediately, officials said, and the firefighters were expected to join the front lines late Tuesday night.

-- Scott Gold