East County News Service

August 11, 2024 (Alpine)—Supervisor Joel Anderson is asking the public to sign a petition which he will deliver to Sweetwater Water Authority asking the agency to restore sunrise-to-sunset hours at Loveland Reservoir. You can sign the petition here.  

Anderson  has emerged as a champion for local recreational enthusiasts seeking to protect access at several local lakes, including a prior petition that yielded positive results.

East County News Service

August 6, 2024 (Spring Valley) – The Spring Valley Community Church has agreed to lease parking lot space to the County to serve as a safe parking place for homeless people. Supervisors have voted to approve the measure,  but on August 7 at 7 p.m, the church’s pastor will hold a question and answer forum for the public.

The church is located at 3310 Bancroft Drive, Spring Valley. A tour will be provided and questions are welcome.

By Miriam Raftery

August 2, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – AB 1819, a measure by Assemblymember Marie Waldron (R-Valley Center) would authorize counties to create special infrastructure financing districts in high or very high fire hazard severity zones.  These districts would fund wildfire mitigation apparatus and infrastructure including new heavy equipment to clear vegetation, create firebreaks, and harden utility infrastructure against wildfires.

 “As climate change progresses, our state is affected by longer, more intense, and increasingly hazardous wildfires. In San Diego alone, almost one-fourth of all wildfires start from the combustion of roadside vegetation by vehicles. It is crucial to have the proper firefighting equipment to prevent wildfires,” a statement by Waldron in the  Senate Floor analysis.“Obtaining funding to increase prevention response and fire-fighting equipment. backcountry areas has been difficult. The creation of an infrastructure financing district for this purpose will raise the necessary funding without the need to raise taxes.”

The bill has passed the Assembly unanimously (with several members absent) and is currently awaiting action in the Senate Appropriations Committee.  All legislative business must be concluded by August 31, the last day of the legislative session.

By Jonathan Goetz

July 24, 2024 (Campo) -- The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning in effect until 7 p.m. this evening for areas including Pine Valley, Campo, Jacumba, Boulevard and Mount Laguna. 

By Miriam Raftery

July 16, 2024 (Jamul)—The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs heard impassioned testimony on July 11 from  Jamul tribal chairwoman Erica Pinto, speaking in favor of S. 3857,the Jamul Indian Land Transfer Act authored by California Senator Alex Padilla. The measure would place in trust four land parcels totaling 172 acres into the Jamul Indian Village reservation, lands that the tribal chairwoman says are needed for tribal members' housing, reuniiting a scattered community, protecting cultural resources, and providing services for tribal members,such as healthcare and education.

The bill is identical to H.R. 6443, Rep. Darrell Issa’s bill which has already passed the House of Representatives.

But the measures have drawn opposition from the Jamul-Dulzura Community Planning Group, which was not consulted about the measures and was not allowed to present testimony at the July 11 hearing. THE JDCPG Chair sent a letter to the Committee on Indian Affairs Chairman and the authors of both bills outlining the planning group's concerns including whether commercial development could occur, as well as objections over the land transfer process bypassing local input.

Update 5:30 p.m.: The fire is 23 acres and 50% contained per Cal-Fire.

East County News Service

July 2, 2024 (Tecate) -- Cal-Fire is on the scene of a vegetation fire on Humphries Road in Tecate, CA. Very little information is available at this time but the fire is at 5 acres with a potential for 500 acres, per Cal-Fire.

Update 3 p.m.: This fire is contained. Firefighters are on scene mopping up.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

June 19, 2024 (Spring Valley)-- A brush fire has burned 1 to 1.5 acres nearJamacha Blvd. and Campo Rd. in Spring Valley.  This fire is burning under power lines, so air resources are unable to suppress the fire with a drop. The fire is burning in medium fuels at a slow rate of speed, per Watch Command.

CHP has shut down Jamacha Blvd. in both directions

By Miriam Raftery

June 16, 2024 (Spring Valley) – A family that lost their home in a house fire Thursday on Dictionary Hill is searching for four missing pets—three dogs and a cat.

The home, located on La Mesa Avenue near Date Street in Spring Valley was destroyed. The blaze broke out around 6:30 p.m. June 13.  The family was not at home, though ironically the homeowner was golfing nearby and saw the smoke, not realizing his own house was in flames, CBS 8 reports.

According to San Miguel Fire Battalion Chief Roddey Blunt, the home’s hillside location made it challenging to contain the fire.  Windows blew out and wind drove flames through the residence, he said.

Story and photos by Josh Stotler

June 8, 2024 (Spring Valley) – A multi-agency response prevented a wind-driven brush fire in Spring Valley yesterday from destroying multiple homes threatened by the flames. The fire was originally dispatched as a residential structure fire near the 9800 block of Ivanho Street.  The first units on scene reported the blaze had extended to the vegetation on the back side of the residence.

As the fire grew, spreading across a grassy field, structures were threatened. The Incident Commander ordered additional engines and helicopter support. An evacuation order for zone SDC-2151 was broadcast as the fire came within a few feet of homes in the area.  Smoke was visible and could be smelled across Rancho San Diego, Spring Valley and parts of La Mesa.