EAGLE FIRE 30% CONTAINED, NOW 4,000 ACRES

July 23, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) – The Eagle Fire, which began around 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, has scorched 4,000 acres and is 30% contained. The cost to suppress the fire is $2 million thus far, with 814 firefighters currently on the scene. The fire began near Highway 79 in the vicinity of the Los Coyotes Indian reservation near Warner Springs.

Cal-Fire’s Roxanne Provaznik said there have been no reported injuries or structures threatened. However Ramona Patch.com and other media have reported outbuildings burned as well as property leased by a camp used for military training.

Ramona Patch.com reported yesterday that “the torched area includes property leased by the Los Coyotes tribe to a private company called ERTC, formerly known as Eagle Rock Training Center, according to Eagle Rock founder Brian Bonfiglio. Bonfiglio, a former spokesman for Blackwater USA who now operates ERTC, said in an interview with Patch that the guard shack on the leased land has been consumed by the fire. He said it was not staffed when the fire started last night but is usually staffed during the day.”

The wind is blowing westerly at about 13 mph, toward the Anza-Borrego desert. Currently there are 7 Fire Engines, 27 Fire Crews, 12, Water Tenders, 4 Bulldozers, 122 Overhead, 9 Helicopters, and 7 air tankers battling the wildfire.