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Fire has scorched 2,450 acres and is now 40% contained, 25 homes still threatened in Tierra del Sol area. View map of fire
By Miriam Raftery
September 24, 2012 (Boulevard) –A charred body has been found at the burned residence of an 82-year-old disabled man, who did not leave despite reverse 911 calls made in the area advising residents of mandatory evacuation orders. Neighbors told ECM news partner 10 News that deputies and firefighters were searching for Carson Robinson, who was missing after the Shockey Fire roared through his neighborhood on Tierra del Sol Road in Boulevard.
“It’s extremely prudent upon homeowners to definitely heed the warning and exit the premises as quickly as you can,” Cal Fire Captain Richard Cordova told ECM, indicating that this tragedy may have been preventable.
It’s also a good idea to check on neighbors and relatives who are elderly or disabled, to make sure they receive and heed evacuation notices. Cordova was uncertain whether anyone spoke with Robinson to make sure he was aware of the danger.
Even during mandatory evacuations, state law prevents authorities from forcibly removing residents. Substantial numbers of East County residents have stayed behind during this wildfire and others, opting for a “stay and defend” stance instead. There is some logic to taking such risks; some residents have told of saving their homes by extinguishing burning embers when no firefighters were available. But the risk remains—and some have paid the ultimate price.
During the Harris Fire, a Potrero man lost his life after staying home during the wildfire. Several years earlier, an Olivenheim man died after attempting to save his home from a wildfire with a garden house. Other Southern California fire victims lost their lives after staying behind to tend livestock.
At the evacuation center at Mountain Empire High School, Chelsie Blanchard and her children were the first arrivals during the Shockey Fire, along with the family dogs. “A home’s just a home,” Blanchard told 10 News. “I have what I have with me and that’s all that’s important, to be honest.”
Tonight, the fire is holding at 2,000 acres and is 40% contained, according to Cal Fire. Evacuation orders have been lifted in Jewel Valley and Boulevard, with the exception of Tierra del Sol, where some 80 residents remain threatened. Power has been restored to nearly all homes in the fire area.
Twenty homes are confirmed burned. Another 10 suffered damage and 15 outbuildings were destroyed, all in the Tierra del Sol area.
The county is working to set up a local assistance center for those who lost homes and hopes to have a center open by Wednesday.
“The winds right now are pretty calm,” Captain Cordova told ECM. “Earlier today we had winds of 20 mph.”
Several road closures are in effect: Shasta Way at Highway 94, Tierra Del Sol at Highway 94, and Jewel Valley Road at Highway 80.
Cause of the fire remains under investigation. There was no lightning, but all other possibilities remain open at this time.
The deceased elderly victim is believed to be the only casualty of the wildfire.
“Thankfully we have no injuries to firefighters or other civilians,” Captain Cordova confirmed.
Nearly a thousand firefighters have been assigned to battle the blaze, including 87 engines plus airpower.
A firefighter at a local agency who spoke off record asked why units were called in from out of town by Cal Fire’s incident commander while some units closer to the fire were not dispatched early on.
Asked whether more resources could have made a difference early on to prevent homes from burning and a man from losing his life, Captain Cordova responded, “The fire district is in a rural area and it is hard to make access with some equipment.” He indicated that units from out of area are called in at times to assure that local areas will still have protection in the event of new incidents.
Homes were not reported burned until hours after the blaze began on Shockey Truck Trail Road, though early reports indicated that numerous outbuildings had been lost. It is unclear exactly when many of the homes burned, or whether some smaller homes may have been mistaken for outbuildings amid the smoke and flames in the fire’s early hour.
Cordova does not believe that more resources would have prevented the damage. “We utilized every resource that we could utilize at that time, and we didn’t hold back on calling people in,” he maintained. “ We made a quick attack--but this fire moved very rapidly and very dangerously.”
Useful numbers:
Emergencies: 911
Non-emergency San Diego Sheriff line: 858-565-5200
Livestock evacuation: 619-299-0871 (San Diego Human Society)
County Animal Services Emergency Dispatch: 619-236-2341
Crisis hotline: 888-724-7240
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