October 3, 2011 (Julian)  Update 7 p.m.- The Great Fire is 65 percent contained this evening and holding at 2,000 acres, the same size the wildfire has been estimated at since yesterday morning.

Winds are blowing at 10 mph out of the southwest, with gusts of 17 mph, Cal Fire Batallion Chief Nick Schuler reports, adding that there is an increase in cumulous cloud build up and an anticipated increase in wind speeds.  Progress is being made in all divisions, he added.

Although more than 1,100 homes in the Julian order were placed on standby for possible evacuation yesterday, no evacuations were ordered, Cal Fire's Roxanne Provaznikconfirmed.

October 3, 2011 (Julian) 1:25 p.m. – All evacuation advisories have been lifted in the Julian area, where the Great Fire is 40% contained. Road closures have also been lifted, however the Pacific Crest Trail in the fire affected areas remains closed, as well as Rodriguez Truck Trail.

According to Cal-Fire’s incident update, 1,486 firefighting personnel including federal, state and local agencies are currently battling the 2,000 wildfire, including 119 engines, 52 fire crews, 8 air tankers, 6 helicopters, and 6 bulldozers.

October 2, 2011 (Borrego) – Cal Fire reports  that the Great Fire, which started south of 78 near Julian yesterday (see ECM report ), has grown to 2,000 acres and is only 5% contained, Cal Fire spokesoperson Roxanne Provaznik confirms. 

The fire has burned over the top of Granite Mountain, heading east into Anza Borrego Desert State Park and federal lands. 

 Update October 2, 2011 6:45 p.m. --The Great Fire is 20 percent contained and holding at 2,000 acres. Currently there are 119 engines, 52 fire crews, eight bulldozers, and 21 water tenders at the scene, a total of 1,486 firefighters. Fire crews have four miles of containment line to construct; cost to fight the fire is estimated at $650,000, said Roxanne Provaznik at Cal-Fire. 

Update Oct. 1, 2011 10:15 p.m. -  Crews from Los Angeles have been called to assist on the Great Fire, which has swelled to 960 acres, per Cal-Fire, and continues to burn to the northeast toward the desert.  It is 5% contained.

September 30, 2011 (Boulevard)—A brush fire started by lightning threatened homes this afternoon in Boulevard.

“My daughter in law and grandkids saw the strike start the fire on their way home from school,” said Donna Tisdale. The lightning struck next to a neighbor’s home and burned onto another neighbor’s property, she added. “Border Patrol agents went door to door to alert neighbors and let folks know that certain roads were being closed temporarily.”

Update October 1:  The Chihuahua Fire in Warner Springs was 50% contained as of 9 a.m. October 1. Cal-Fire has estimated the total acreage downward to 40 acres (from 100 acres estimated yesterday).  The Border Fire is 100% contained.

September 30, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--Cal Fire is on scene of several lightning caused fires in the backcountry of San Diego County, Captain Roxanne Provaznik reports.  Structures are threatened near Boulevard and Sunshine Summit not far from where fires charred acreage just yesterday.  

Update 4:45 p.m.  The Tierra del Sol fire is 40% contained at 3 acres. There has been structure damage, according to Cal Fire Captain Mike Mohler. Forward spread has been stopped.

September 29, 2011 (Lakeside) -- A 1-acre brush fire with potential to reach 10 acres is burning at the Barona Golf Course, 1932 Barona Road in Lakeside, Incident Page Network reported at 3 p.m.  Watch for updates.

September 21, 2011 (Boulevard) -- –Cal Fire resources will be conducting a small prescribed burn in the area of Mc Cain Conservation Camp north east of the Community of Boulevard. This burn is scheduled to take place in the early evening hours of September 22, 2011 between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Fire officials warn this could be the worst fire season in years--and budget cuts has slashed 72 firefighters from Cal Fire in San Diego.  We need funds now to be sure we can keep you alerted if a major fire strikes!

We can still earn hundreds of dollars more to fund our Viejas Wildfire& Emergency Alerts if you vote TODAY. 

 Please vote here now:  www.ideal4acause.com/vote.php . 

(1 vote person; only San Diego County votes will be counted. Mulltiple votes per household or computer are

allowed. ) Ask friends, family and coworkers to vote, too! We get money for every work.

Photos courtesy of Dennis Richardson and La Mesa Fire Department

Update September 19, 2011, 6 p.m. -- This fire has been halted at 7 acres, Cal Fire Captain Mike Mohler confirms. No structures were damaged.

Update 6:20 p.m. -- "Per Camp Pendleton Fire we are pleased to report the fire on the base has been held to 120 acres with no structures damaged or destroyed and is 80% contained. Resources are being released and some crews will remain on scene through the night in a mop up and patrol operation," Cal-Fire Captain Mike Mohler reports.

By Miriam Raftery

September 19, 2011 (Fallbrook) – The Hotel Fire, a blaze that started from a military helicopter crash at 601 Ammunition Road, has now grown to 85 acres, Incident Page Network reports. The AH-1 Cobra crash resulted in deaths of both persons aboard, the Marine Corps confirms.

September 19, 2011 – 1:50 p.m. – ECM has received reports of at least 6 serious incidents across our region:

• At Shadow Hills Elementary School, preparations have been made for possible evacuation due to a fire in Harbison Canyon, where multiple strike teams and air support are ordered. Alpine Community Network reports Cal-Fire expects to contain this fire soon.
• In Julian, a head-on accident has shut down lanes at Highway 79 and Chihuahua Valley road with extrication in progress and as of 1:33, medical helicopter at the scene.
• CHP issued a SIG alert for northbound I-5 north of Del Mar Heights Road after a tourist bus fro Mexico caught fire and several accidents occurred as a result.
• IPN reports that a Sunrise Powerlink contractor has been injured in the unincorporated areas and is being transported via private helicopter to a medic unit for transport to a trauma center. ECM has asked SDG&E for details.
• In Fallbrook, a possible fatality helicopter crash has occurred at 601 Ammunition Road. IPN reports the helicopter may be military and a multi-agency response is underway. There is also a brush fire iginited by the crash.

By Miriam Raftery

September 19, 2011 (San Diego) – San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore has announced that Deputies Scott Bligh and Gary Kneeshaw were awarded the 2010 Governor’s Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor.  

The deputies received the state's highest honor for their heroic actions on August 21, 2010 to save two rock climbers trapped on the face of El Cajon (El Capitan) Mountain in Lakeside during the fast-moving Monte Fire.

September 14, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – Lightning strikes have ignited two small brush fires in Shelter Valley, between Julian and Borrego Springs, Cal Fire confirms.

By Billie Jo Jannen
For East County Magazine

September 11, 2011 (San Diego’s East County)--As the state legislative session came to a close with the usual last minute hustle to get bills passed before midnight Friday, rural residents narrowly escaped a rewritten state fire fee that would have increased many property owners’ bills by hundreds – or even thousands – of dollars per year.

The bill, dubbed SB1X7 in the senate and ABX 1 24 in the assembly is far from dead, however, and could be reintroduced in the new session, which starts Jan. 4, 2012.   Meanwhile the Dept. of Finance plans to begin sending bills to property tax owners this fall under the plan originally approved.

September 9, 2011 (Spring Valley) 5:25 p.m. – A half-acre fire is burning in Spring Valley. According to Heartland dispatch, the fire began in the 8700 block of Central Way. Forward spread has been stopped. 

Another fire torched a quarter-acre along I-15 at Adams Avenue but was swiftly put out by San Diego Fire and Rescue a short time ago.

September 8, 2011 (In-ko-pah) – I-8 westbound has been ordered to shut down due to a five-acre brush fire burning in light, flashy fuels half a mile from In-ko-pah along I-8.  In-ko-pah is located east of Jacumba near the San Diego County-Imperial County line.

September 8, 2011 (Spring Valley) – 2:50 p.m. – A residential structure fire that started in a split level home at Grand and Eucalyptus has spread into adjacent brush, Heartland Fire Dispatch has just confirmed. Wildland fire air support is en route. Mutual aide firefighting units from Santee and La Mesa have also been called to the scene.

September 8, 2011 (Rancho Bernardo) – A brush fire that started at West Bernardo Drive on the west side of I-15 scorched approximately three acres this afternoon, briefly slowing traffic. The fire is now out; cause is under investigation.

September 6, 2011 (Spring Valley)—Two fires briefly threatened homes this evening in Spring Valley. A careless cigarette has been blamed for one blaze, while the other appears to be natural in cause, according to Leonard Villareal, spokesman for the San Miguel Fire District.

September 1, 2011 (San Diego's East County)--Effective today, fire restrictions on the Cleveland National Forest have been moved to the “Elevated” level. The increase in fire restrictions is due to dryer fuel conditions, higher temperatures, and the likelihood of small fires becoming larger fires.

August 31, 2011 (Pala) -- The Pala Fire is now 100% contained, Cal-Fire spokesperson Roxanne Provaznik confirms.

Total cost to fight the fire exceeded $1.8 million.  Total acreage burned is estimated at approximately 233 acres. The acreage has been down-sized from earlier estimates due to more accurate mapping, according to Cal Fire.

Update 5 p.m. - All fires are out and traffic is flowing as firefighters douse remaining hot spots.

August 30, 2011 (Alpine) 3:30 p.m. -- A Sig Alert has been issued for I-8 through Alpine, where several small brush fires along the freeway have been burning. According to Cal-Fire, three of the four blazes are now out and Cal Fire is making "good progress" on a fourth, Roxanne Provaznik at Cal Fire reports. A total of 10 acres has been burned.

August 30, 2011 (Pala) - The Pala fire is 60% contained, with full containment expected today and complete control by tomorrow at 6 p.m. Thus far costs to fight the 300+ acre fire have exceeded $404,000, according to Cal-Fire spokesperson Roxanne Provaznik.

Update 9 p.m. - The forward spread of the fire was stopped at 75 acres (downgraded from earlier estimates on acreage). A total of ten engines, 4 fire crews, 2 airtankers, 3 helicopters, 1 bulldozer, 2 water tenders, 3 Chief Officers and 100 firefighters have worked to battle the blaze, Cal-Fire reports.

Update 11 p.m. – The Pala Fire is now 40% contained. A Red Cross Evacuation Center is set up at 12194 Pala Mission Road at the Jim Banks Sports Complex. Evacuation advisories have gone out to an additional 79 homes this evening within the following Thomas Bro. map pages/grids: page 999, grids G2 through G5, H2 through H5, J2 through J5 Page 409, D5 and E5 Total 79 numbers.

Update August 29, 2011 -  According to the Cleveland National Forest Inciweb http://www.inciweb.org/incident/2541/ the fire is 40 percent contained and has burned 120 acres.  The Deerhorn Valley Antler confirms planes are continuing to scoop water to combat the blaze today.   Cost to fight this fire was $200,000 and lightning was the cause.

Update 8:30 p.m. (Barrett Junction)--Fire is now 100 acres with forward spread stopped for "several hours" according to Cal-Fire. Firefighters will be doing mop up through the night. Deerhorn Valley Antler reports approximately half of acreage is BLM land other half Cleveland Forest. 250 firefighters, 7 engines, 11 crews, 6 air tankers, 6 helicopters, 1 dozer, 4 water tenders. Air support returning to stations.