ESCONDIDO -- A swift-moving wildfire on Monday forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents in southern Escondido; all were allowed to return by nightfall. Meanwhile, firefighters gained control over flames threatening the eastern edge of Escondido, saving a water treatment plant above Dixon Lake.

"Our plan was to keep the fire east of Escondido and north of Escondido, and we accomplished that today," Fire Chief Victor Reed said Monday night.

California Department of Forestry officials estimated that they had contained 15 percent of the Paradise Fire raging through Escondido and Valley Center, much of that along the eastern border of Escondido. They also estimated that about 30,000 acres had burned and 57 homes -- all in Valley Center -- had been destroyed as of Monday night.

"In Escondido, we've been very fortunate," said Reed, noting that the city suffered no structural losses or deaths.

Firefighters battled to save the treatment plant for 24 hours, building backfires, spraying foam and digging trenches beginning late Sunday night. Rough terrain made battling the blaze tough.

"It was a significant gain for us," said Sgt. Mike Loarie with the Escondido Police Department. The water treatment plant serves about 100,000 customers in Escondido, Vista and some unincorporated areas; at least 200 homes would have been in the path of the fire if the treatment plant were lost and the fire had moved north.

By late Monday afternoon, residents of Foxley Drive, east of the plant, were allowed to return to their homes after having been evacuated Sunday night. Residents along La Honda Drive, who were asked to evacuate voluntarily Monday afternoon, were also allowed to return, as were residents of Rancho San Pasqual, a community in the southeast part of the city.

Early in the afternoon, a fire crew at the base of the road leading to the water treatment plant kept a watchful eye on the burning brush the fire had left behind earlier in the morning. Although most of the area had already been scorched, firefighters and CDF officials worried the small wall of flames might jump up the canyon toward the plant.

Up the road, two more firetrucks and several California Department of Forestry officials monitored the fire's path.

"The embers can jump from those eucalyptus trees," said Deputy Fire Marshall Fred Aguilar, pointing to a patch of 30-foot potential match sticks. "Then it could spread right up the canyon."

Earlier in the day, Diane Snyder hurriedly prepared to abandon her hilltop home off of La Honda Drive, near Dixon Lake.

"We got everything ready last night," Snyder said. "If we have to go, our computer tower is going with us."

Shortly before noon, Escondido police passed by, advising her and her husband to leave the area. Charcoal-colored smoke clouds rolled into the air as helicopters flew overhead trying to drown the flames burning out of sight, near the lake. Shortly after, the smoke clouds turned a steamy white.

Snyder's husband, Dennis, appeared calm as he surveyed the ice plant and trees that line the couple's property.

"We've got a lot of green around us," he said. "We just hope the embers don't come up our way."

Down the hill, neighbors on Dublin Lane loaded their cars and checked on the houses of those who left Sunday night.

"We're a very close-knit neighborhood," said Minika Omiya, as she scurried up the street to get an extra face mask for her ailing mother. "When people need help, we're there."

About five miles southeast, Escondido police passed through Rancho San Pasqual, evacuating many residents for the second time in as many days and leaving much of the 580-home development looking like a freshly built ghost town. On Monday, police asked only residents of the northern sections of the community to evacuate.

Despite the warnings, Ericka Neitzel lingered around the cul-de-sac of Wild Oak Lane. Neitzel and her husband had followed police orders Sunday and left the house they have lived in for three years. This time, she was more skeptical.

"It was chaos yesterday, because nobody knew what they were going to do," said Neitzel, 33. On Monday, police gave residents about 45 minutes to leave. Those who chose to disregard that request patiently watched the smoky sky and mounds of brush for signs of danger.

"Maybe in a couple of hours we're going to need to evacuate," Neitzel said, surveying the sheets of smoke above the ridge across from her house.

Around the bend, Mark Esselman stood at the end of his driveway on Rosewood Lane, drinking beer and grilling bratwurst for his friends and family. At the end of a green garden hose sprawled across the sidewalk was an industrial-strength water pump ready to blast 3,500 pounds of water per square foot across the lawns and roofs of the neighborhood. Esselman and his neighbors also evacuated Sunday and said this time they were determined to save their houses.

"The police came by and told us we should leave," said Esselman's next-door neighbor, Ric DuDeck, pointing to the chalk "X" officers scrawled across his front door. "I said: 'Thank you very much. I'll stay here.' "

"When the embers start landing and burning, then it's time to go," Esselman said.

On Sunday, close to 1,000 residents were evacuated from the San Pasqual, Hidden Trails and the North Broadway neighborhoods. Crews dug a 20-foot-wide trench through a 1.5-mile stretch of Daley Ranch.

As the fire burned near Lake Wohlford on Monday afternoon, the Solis family formed a caravan and headed for the relative safety of central Escondido.

Close behind in his pickup truck was Billy Dial, who lived farther east. Dial said he was going down the hill to get food and water so he could sit out the siege at his property and defend it as best he could. A master sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, Dial had already evacuated his wife and family from the remote ranchland.

"I'm going to sit there at the house for as long as I can't stay there anymore," Dial said.

The San Diego Wild Animal Park closed at 11 a.m. Monday and some animals were relocated because of the fire. By midafternoon, the flames were moving past the park.

The fire claimed several structures on the Police Department's 15-acre firing range on Valley Center Road. A day before, the department had removed 50,000 rounds of live ammunition from the site as a precaution, Loarie said.

"We can probably still use the range," said Loarie of the outdoor venue. It was unclear what equipment was lost, and the department won't be able to assess the damages for several days, he added.

Fire burned south down Valley Center Road late Monday and spread west into a 3,000-acre nature preserve.

Fire Chief Reed said westwardly winds Monday night appeared to be pushing the flames east, away from the city and toward Rancho Guejito and Cleveland National Forest.

Based on fire officials' assessment, City Hall, the Police Department and the main library will be open today. The branch library and East Valley Community Center will be closed, as will all schools.

Information on evacuations and other fire news will be posted on the city's Web site, www.ci.escondido.ca.us/news, and will be broadcast on Channel 19.

The city's Community Services Department will accept donations for distribution to evacuation centers and other residents in need. For information, call (760) 839-4691.

Staff writers Gary Warth and Bruce Kauffman contributed to this report.

Contact staff writer David Fried at (760) 943-2313 or dfried@nctimes.com. Contact staff writer Katherine Marks at (760) 761-4411 or kmarks@nctimes.com.