Rain coming to Southern California could help with the firefight, but forecasters say it probably will not end what has been a devastating fire season.

Two brush fires burning along I-15 in northern San Diego County have prompted evacuation orders for some as they burn at high rates of speed due to strong winds in the area.

The last time it was this dry in January, there were barely more than 500 people in San Diego. The year was 1850, and only a quarter-inch of rain had fallen in six months. It made the region ripe for wildfire — but that wasn’t much of a concern. The city’s population was clustered along the coast, far from the backcountry, where most fires burned.