BRUSH FIRE IN MEXICO REACHES CAMPO

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By Miriam Raftery

Photo credit: Audrua  A. Lou’Lou, taken at Campo Hills, below cut photo:  Bob Scheid

Update August 14, 2016 2 p.m. -  Fire is now 120 acres, all currently south of the Border,per Cal Fire, which has three engines monitoring the blaze.

Update 7 p.m.:  Cal Fire Captain Isaac Sanchez says the fire is now 60 acres. According to Capt. Sanchez it is entirely in Mexico, though several eyewitnesses have told  ECM it did cross the border earlier in at least one spot near Campo. Cal Fire describes the fire as south of Bell Valley near Potrero,burning southeast along the Mexican side of the border fence."

  Firefighters will remain at scene throughout the evening in order to ensure that it does not spread to the north.  Currently, CAL FIRE and San Diego County Fire have 12 engines, 4 water tenders and 4 hand crews (approximately 100 personnel) at scene. 

 

August 13, 2016 (Campo) – A fast-burning brush fire that started in Mexico has now crossed into the U.S. in Campo, multiple residents confirm.  The fire crossed the border fence about two miles west of the Campo store. 

“It is on both sides of the fence and they are pulling water from private ponds not Lake Morena,” says Karen Noblitt-McIntyre. Lake Morena has been drained to below 3% capacity by the City of San Diego.

Long-time residents of the area advise that the brush there has not burned in many years. Some are voluntarily evacuating near the border.

Cal Fire has not yet issued an alert or any estimate on the fire’s size, though scanner traffic indicates the fire may be 20 acres.

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Comments

Fire awareness and safety

Hello Neighbors I just finished teaching a Free, three hour course about fire awareness and safety. Our concentration was on verifiable, real time information. This involves listening to the radio traffic between CalFire Dispatch, the Incident Commander on scene, and his various resources like water tenders, engines, strike teams and air assets. It is common for social media to contain erroneous reports. The main stream media can be misleading, as well. I urged all the attendees to obtain their Amateur Radio License from the Federal Communications Commission, and get a radio, and/or scanner. To be informed of the scope and threat during these emergencies can prevent a lot of stress and may even prevent people from reacting in the wrong direction, putting their lives, and others, in danger. Judging by the response following this class, we will be repeating it in the near future. Please attend, and do not be misled by anonymous postings on the internet. The life you save may be your own! Jon Howard Community Emergency Response Team Real East County Fire Safe Council Campo Fire Auxiliary (Communications) American Red Cross (Shelter Operations)