DEERHORN VALLEY RESIDENTS FIGHT FIRE WHILE WAITING ON FIREFIGHTERS

By Miriam Raftery

December 9, 2021 (Deerhorn Valley) – Residents of rural Deerhorn Valley south of Jamul battled a fire Tuesday, December 7 that began near Deerhorn Valley Road and Elena.  Residents have voiced concerned about fire response time and how the fire started.

“It started right at the corner by the street sign then moved toward nearby homes,” says Deerhorn Valley Antler editor Kim Hamilton. “Firefighters at the scene said it was unlikely to be a cigarette, that humidity was too high for that to be a source of ignition. At one point flames went up the (still) wooden pole about 15 feet or more. This was just across the street from us around both sides of our mailbox.”

Hamilton, in an e-mail to ECM, described residents’ efforts to fight the fire on their own, though their timeframe conflicts with Cal Fire’s response.

“Passing neighbors called it in and fought the blaze for 25 minutes until engines from Jamul and Lyons Valley arrived,” says Hamilton, who questioned why there was no response from the Deerhorn Valley Cal Fire/County Fire station just five minutes away. “I drove down some shovels, rakes, and buckets of water.  Wonderful neighbors stopped and fought the fire until CALFIRE arrived.  Two engine units responded: Jamul #36 and Lyons Valley #3353.”

But Captain Frank LoCoco, public information officer for Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire Authority, told ECM in an email, “According to our emergency command center, our first two dispatched engines (E37 and E3353), arrived within 7-8 minutes respectively.”

Hamilton, however, is adamant that the timeframe was longer.  “7-8 minutes?  I wish,” she said when advised of LoCoco’s statement. “It was very scary waiting for them. We’re used to a quicker response from our Deerhorn station,” which she says is supposed to be manned fulltime, “but they were a no show.”  Hamilton says the PulsePoint notice indicated the fire was reported at 2:04 .  According to Hamilton, “the first arrival was Lyons Valley 3353 at 2:29, per my photos. I wonder how they calculate the time?”

Interestingly, the power went out to 21 Deerhorn Valley residents on Circuit 067 at 2:01, three minutes before Pulsepoint reported a vegatation fire.  (See screenshot, below left).  Hamilton notes, "Other residents reported a blink."

 Hamilton questioned whether the fire might have been caused by a malfunction of SDG&E equipment such as a bad insulator, noting that SDG&E flew low-flying helicopters over the area repeatedly inspecting lines in recent days.  However, when asked about the cause of the fire, LoCoco replied that it is still under investigation. He indicated that he will notify ECM when or if the cause is determined.