July 24, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)—Cal-Fire is now battling the 11,000 acre Eagle Fire in a unified command with the Bureau of Indian affairs and the California Department of Parks and Recreation.

July 23, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)--Wildfires are on the increase. Yet most wildfires can be prevented.

If you go camping, Cal-Fire asks that you follow these safety steps:

 Update 4:50 p.m. - The Eagle Fire is now 2,500 acres and 5% contained. The fire is expected to continue in a easterly direction away from populated areas. The current temperature is 83 degrees, with 27% humidity;  winds are 13 mph from the west. The fire is burning on Bureau of Indian Affairs and State Park lands.

Estimated cost to suppress the fire is $250,000 to date.

Currently the are 15 Engines, 25 Fire Crews, 9 Water Tenders, 7 Airtankers, 9 Helicopters, 26 Overhead (567 Firefighters).

Update 2:30 p.m. - The Dog Fire is now 70% contained and full containment is expected within the hour.

July 22, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Three small brush fires have burned into one at Doghouse Junction and Otay Truck Trail (Thomas Brothers Map 1353 H11) along the U.S./Mexico border. The fire was reported at 5:40 a.m. and cause is under investigation.

Two air tankers have been added to the incident and fire crews are beginning to be flown to the fire scene, Roxanne Provaznik has informed East County Magazine.

July 19, 2011 (San Diego's East County) -- San Miguel Fire District invites you to join the San Miguel Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).  

July 18, 2011 (Jacumba) – The Buffalo Fire, which charred over 25 acres near Jacumba earlier this week, was caused by illegal burning.

“A resident who is Native American had a sweat lodge or ceremonial area,” Cal-Fire Captain Mike Mohler said. “They were burning some leaves or other material in preparation and that spread to a chicken coup, then to an outbuilding.”

July 16, 2011 (Jacumba) -- Wayne Brammer captured these two images of a Cal-Fire crew and a San Diego Sheriff's helicopter in action battling a brush fire near Jacumba this week.

"With all  the power lines running all over this area, my hat goes off to all of these guys. The smoke and power lines made it tough," he wrote, adding that he was amazed to see a house still standing after this blaze near Old Highway 80.

July 14, 2011 (Otay) -- San Diego County Crime Stoppers and Chula Vista Police Department investigators seek help  to identify suspects in arson fires which recently occurred at an elementary school and nearby canyons in the Otay and Chula Vista areas.

July 13, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal-Fire is combating 100-acre fire in the remote “Tin Can” area in Mexico, east of the Otay port of entry and just south of the border fence.

“We currently have 3 engines, 2 air tankers, 1 air attack and 1 helicopter,” Cal-Fire Captain Mike Mohler said. “Aircraft and crews are pre-treating areas along the fence.”

July 6, 2011 (McCain Valley) – Cal-Fire and the San Diego County Fire Authority have announced cancellation of plans to conduct controlled brush fire training tomorrow, July 7,  the McCain Valley area of East County. Cal Fire Captain Mike Mohler advises.

June 28, 2011 (Scripps Ranch) – A brush fire at Scripps Ranch Blvd. and Carroll Canyon Road has burned two acres as of 3:25 p.m. A helicopter is now making a water drop and command has requested a brush engine response and arson investigators, Incident Page Network reports.

June 22, 2011 (San Diego) -- Wildfires are increasing in both absolute number and severity in the American southwest and this trend is predicted to continue over decades to come. Wildfire prevention has now become a major priority, and scientists at the University of California, San Diego have received federal funding to devise descriptive and predictive simulation tools to help prevent or suppress wildfires. 

With a one-year grant* from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Cyberinfrastructure, effective June 1, the UC San Diego researchers have opened a new phase for their SDFireSight project. They will develop a technical framework and computer models that will simulate the conditions that can spark a wildfire in San Diego’s ‘backcountry’. 

June 17,2011 (San Diego) -- County Supervisors and public safety officials kicked off Defensible Space Days last week by urging residents to give their homes a fighting chance against wildfires by creating a 100-foot buffer zone.  The map below shows areas most likely to have a major wildfire—including a significant section of East County. 

“We lost thousands of homes in the 2003 and 2007 firestorms and learned that homes with defensible space are far more likely to survive than homes without it.  As we head into the hot, dry conditions of summer and fall, it’s imperative that residents get rid of fire hazards on their properties,” said Supervisor Dianne Jacob.

June 15, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – A suspect shot by a U.S. Marshal at the Albertson’s at 790 Broadway in Lemon Grove has led deputies on a high-speed chase. Incident Page Network reports multiple shots were fired and the suspect has been shot in the arm. The Highway 94 on-ramp westbound ramp westbound from College Grove was shut down temporarily, however the suspect has now been taken into custody.

By Miriam Raftery