East County News Service

September 3, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – The Tecate, Potrero and Dulzura Post Offices have all been reopened and have resumed operations at their facilities. 

Update 10 p.m.  The fire is now 4,234 acres and 5% contained.  The fire continues to threaten the communities of Barrett, Potrero, and Tecate.  Multiple agencies are on scnee fighting fire and protecting structures through the night.

Update 9 p.m.:  An ECM reporter on scene tonight reports "explosive" fire behavior.  A second ECM reporter on scene witnessed electrical equipment explode. The fire is burning near State Routes 188 and 94, heading north. Scanner traffic indicates several homes burned and two civilians suffered burn injuries; a firefighter had a minor heat-related injury.  If you are in the path of this fire, do not wait -- get out now.  The Border Patrol is assisting the Sheriff Dept. with evacuations.

Update 8 p.m. : All schools in the Mountain Empire School District will be closed tomorrow due to the fire.  

SDG&E reports fire damaged electrical equipment, causing an outage for 309 homes in Dulzura, Potrero and Campo. Restoration is expected by noon tomorrow.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left, by Nadin Abbott, view from Barrett Junction east toward Potrero

August 31, 2022 (San Diego’s East County)—The #BorderFire32 has swelled to 1,600 acres since starting this afternoon near State Route 94 and Barrett Lake Road near Dulzura. 

The fire is burning eastward, with zero containment, and has crossed State Route 94 on the eastern portion of the fire.  Structures are threatened, at least one has burned, and more than 400 homes have been ordered to evacuate tonight  as the fire burns at a critical speed. Mandatory evacuation areas include much of Potrero, Barrett Junction, Dulzura and Tecate.

State Route 94 is closed all the way from Otay Lakes Rd. in Dulzura to Forrest Gate Rd. in Campo.  The Tecate border crossing is also shut down.

East County News Service

July 22, 2021 (Dulzura) --  Members of U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) San Diego Sector’s (SDC) Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) team rescued a Mexican citizen yesterday who was lost in East County San Diego and suffering from a heat emergency.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos via Cal Fire

Update July 15, 2021:  The cause of the Marron Fire was a truck that ignited brush, says Cal Fire Captain Thomas Shoots .  "The gentleman was trying to get to the South Bay Rod and Gun Club" but became disoriented on a dirt road and had a techhnical issue with his vehicle, says Shoots, adding that the driver was cooperative and remained on the scene after his truck burned.

July 11, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – The #MarronFire, which began last night along marron Valley Road south of the South Bay Rod & Gun Club in Dulzura, burned approximately 52 acres overnight. The blaze briefly threatened homes and high voltage power lines, however this morning, Cal Fire reports the fire is 40% contained. 

By Ken Stone, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Christopher Paul Parkhurst. Photo via @SDSheriff Twitter

February 27, 2021 (Dulzura) - County authorities on Friday said they have found the remains of Christopher Paul Parkhurst, 47, who was reported missing in early January, sparking an intensive search.

East County News Service

August 15, 2019 (Dulzura) - Cal Fire is responding to a reported vegetation fire on Marron Valley Rd. near Dulzura.  The fire is now estimated to be 30 acres, no structures threatened.  Cal Fire has requested additional air and ground resources.

Sign up to receive free East County Wiildfire & Emergency Alerts at the top right side of our homepage. You can also follow EastCountyAlert on Twitter for brief alerts on your mobile phone.

Motorists advised to expect delays through the construction zone

Source: Caltrans

March 6, 2019 (Dulzura) - Crews will begin work on the new State Route 94 (SR-94) Curb Realignment Project in Dulzura (south of Jamul) beginning Monday, March 11, according to Caltrans. The long-awaited  project will soften the curve on a quarter-mile section of SR-94 just west of Freezer Road and will include relocating utility poles and lines.

The work will require reducing SR-94 to one lane within the construction zone with 24/7 one-way traffic control for much of the year-long project. Temporary traffic control will be used at each end of the lane closure to signal drivers when to safely proceed through the single lane.

East County News Service 

Photo: Gate Fire started by target shooters in 2017 near Dulzura

October 11, 2018 (Dulzura) — By a 3-2 vote, San Diego County Supervisors approved an ordinance introduced by Dianne Jacob to ban recreational target shooting year-round on two portions of Bureau of Land Management property near Dulzura. The action aims to reduce wildfire risk following multiple blazes sparked by target shooting.  The ban does not apply to hunting of legal game.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

August 9, 2018 (Dulzura) -- A brush fire has been broken out at Highway 94 and Freezer Road in Dulzura this evening. Firefighting aircraft have been dispatched to the scene. 

Crews are staging at Lucky Six Truck Trail and Highway 94, the Deerhorn Antler reports.

By Miriam Raftery

December 23, 2017 (San Diego) — Governor Jerry Brown is expected to attend a memorial service Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Rock Church in  Point Loma to honor Cory D. Iverson, a Cal Fire engineer station in Dulzura who lost his life battling the Thomas Fire in Ventura County.  The service is private, but will be live-streamed for the public to view at www.SDRock.com/Iverson.  

"His bravery and years of committed service to the people of California will never be forgotten," said Governor Brown, who ordered flags at the state capitol flown at half mast.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy ECM news partner 10 News

November 7, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – A man suspected of savagely stabbing a female delivery driver, 35, this morning at a convenience store in La Mesa has been taken into custody.  Sheriff’s deputies are investigating whether he may be linked to another woman found stabbed this morning in El Cajon.

The chilling sequence of events began shortly after 3 a.m. when a Frito Lay delivery truck driver was stabbed repeatedly outside of the 7-Eleven store on Avocado Boulevard in unincorporated La Mesa.  She staggered into the store, where she collapsed after telling a clerk she’d been attacked, 10 News reports.

By Miriam Raftery, East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Photo, left:  Cal Fire, 9/2/2017

Photo, below right: Paula Maness, 9/1/2017

September 2, 2017 (Dulzura) – The Border Fire south of Dulzura is now 75 percent contained and has charred an estimated 130 acres, according to Cal Fire.

The brush fire began yesterday along Highway 94 near Marron Valley Road.It is currently spreading to the northeast and is not expected to impact populations. Firefighters will remain on scene constructing containment lines and  mopping up hot spots.

East County News Service

December 26, 2016 (Dulzura) — A 44-year-old El Cajon woman has died of injuries in a head-on collision in Dulzura.

According to California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Pearlstein, the victim was driving a 2011 Ford Fusion westbound on State Route 94 near Barrett School Road around 5:10 p.m. on December 23^rd when a 2003 Ford Explorer driven by a Dulzura woman, 28, crossed the double yellow lines, striking the Fusion head-on.

By Miriam Raftery

July 25, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Effective July 1^st, the Bureau of Land Management has banned all recreational shooting on its federal lands in San Diego County due to high fire hazard declared by the California Department of Forestry.