Forward progress was stopped on the Lilac fire around 10 a.m. It was one of three fires in North County early Tuesday.

A wind-driven wildfire charred dozens of acres Tuesday in the sparsely developed northeastern reaches of San Diego County, damaging structures and forcing pre-dawn evacuations before crews could gain the upper hand on the flames.

Strong Santa Ana winds pushed a wildfire across critically dry terrain in the Bonsall area early Tuesday, charring more than 80 acres and forcing the evacuation of homes in the path of the fire, officials said.