COUNTY RELEASES REPORT ON BORDER FIRE, SETS MEETING IN POTRERO ON SEPT. 27

By Miriam Raftery

August 19, 2016 (Potrero) – San Diego County staff has completed its after-action report on the Border Fire.  The report is available at http://www.readysandiego.org/aar/Border-Fire-June-2016-AAR.pdf.  View reports on prior fires at http://www.readysandiego.org/aar/.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob has scheduled a follow-up meeting with concerned residents for September 27^th from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Potrero Library at 24883 Potrero Valley Rd. ECM has asked Jacob's office why this meeting isn't scheduled on a weekend when working people can attend.

A previous community meeting was held at the Barrett Junction Café, as ECM reported.  There, residents thanked firefighters but voiced numerous concerns over failures with communication infrastructure, law enforcement issues especially the inability of residents to get help to locate a missing couple later found dead by community volunteers, and serious problems getting help for livestock and pets in the evacuated area amid triple-digit heat.  At other meetings, residents voiced concerns over lack of water for firefighting in Lake Morena and dangers of evacuating along a burning highway; some Potrero residents say they want a facility to shelter in place.

While the county report makes some suggestions for action to improve operations and communications in future fires, it largely short-shrifts many of the most serious concerns raised by residents.

ECM has contacted the County to ask if the public will have opportunities to have their concerns included in an amended update of the after-fire report on the Border Fire.