November 21, 2015 (Washington D.C.)--A new report from the U.S. Fire Administration highlights factors that led to the deaths of 118 college students in 85 fatal fires from 2000 through 2015, The report found many of these tragedies were preventable. Key findings include:

East County News Service

Photo: Lake Morena fire, by Claudia Millerbragg

November 9, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – A new study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society  predicts that the number of extreme fire risk days in California will rise from 10 a year to 60 by the year 2100—a six-fold increase.  The study was conducted by  the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Utah State University scientists.

The scientists found that climate change is already underway and responsible for extreme fire conditions starting in the 1990s, which go beyond normal fluctuations in climate conditions. But there are things that can be done. Besides reducing greenhouse emissions to potentially slow or reverse climate change, investing in more brush clearing and firefighting capacity is critical.

Source: CAL FIRE

November 9, 2015 (San Diego)--Members of CAL FIRE Firefighters, along with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, will celebrate their 61-year partnership and kick off the fire fighters' annual Fill the Boot fundraising campaign to benefit children and adults affected by muscle disease throughout the San Diego area.

More than 300 members of CAL FIRE will fan out across San Diego County with boots in hand for this year’s drive during the week of November 9 through 13^th at intersections throughout the San Diego region.

County News Service

Photo: Fire devastation in Lake County.

October 21, 2015 (San Diego)--When fierce wildfires devastated parts of Northern California and the state of Washington in recent months, five San Diego County employees deployed to assist with emergency operations in a couple of the hardest hit areas.

East County News Service

Photo: Two Jacumba CAL FIRE firefighters stand ready to respond in a new paramedic engine at the Jacumba fire station.

October 14, 2015 (San Diego)--San Diego County Fire and CAL FIRE are making a major upgrade to fire and emergency medical services at the County’s Jacumba fire station with the launch this week of round-the-clock paramedic service. It’s the first time ever the service has been offered from the station, located south of Interstate 8 near the Mexican border.

The upgrade is part of an overall effort to increase paramedic capabilities throughout the San Diego County Fire Authority’s service area.  A new paramedic engine at Jacumba is the seventh that County Fire has added over the past few years.  Other new, County Fire-funded paramedic engines now operate out of the Otay, Jamul, Lake Morena, Pine Valley, Descanso and Intermountain stations.

East County Alerts

October 11, 2015 (San Diego)--The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued a heat advisory for San Diego County inland coastal and western valley areas from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday (today).

Temperatures are expected to range from 90 to 95 degrees for inland coastal areas and 95 to 99 in western valley areas.

The County issued an alert at 10:45 a.m. today. The County continues to operate the Cool Zones program and has designated buildings as cooling centers.

East County News Service

October 8, 2015 (Lakeside)—A dedication ceremony for the newly completed Cedar Fire Historic Monument will be held on October 24 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Lakeside Fire Protection Office and Fire Station 2, 12216 Lakeside Avenue in Lakeside.

The monument includes a pocket park and honors first responders , those lost in the fire, as well as the strength and resilience of survivors.  Other elements are a map of the Cedar Fire, fire resistant plants and a symbolic red flag pole.  The monument has been designed as a place to inspire people to reflect, reconnect, and remember Lakeside’s struggle and rebirth after the Cedar Fire.

October 4, 2015 (San Diego's East County) - It’s pretty inevitable living in California, even if your home is not in the path of a fire, you can still be affected by smoke particles released into the air from wildfires reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.

East County News Service

October 4, 2015 (Spring Valley ) – Two men in a white sedan attempted to kidnap a woman who was walking on the sidewalk near the 900 block of Gillespie Drive in Spring Valley on October 3^rd at 5:15 p.m. 

One suspect is described as a black man 20-25 years old with a shaved head, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 150 pounds. The second suspect is a male of unknown race.  The vehicle, a white sedan, may possibly be a Chevrolet Impala and had black windows.

East County News Service

September 29, 2015 (San Diego)—San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) on Friday asked the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to allow the company to charge ratepayers for 90% of its remaining costs to settle the 2,500 lawsuits from the 2007 firestorms.  SDG&E faced $4 billion in claims arising from the fires, but settle most cases for $2.4 billion.

Most of that was covered by the company’s liability insurance or recoveries from third parties. SDG&E now wants its shareholders to pay just 10% ($42 million) with the remaining 90% to be passed on to ratepayers.  If approved, SDG&E proposes to spread out the remaining $379 million over six years, which it estimates would raise monthly bills less than $1.70 for a typical residential customer using 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month.

By contrast, a poll of East County Californian newspaper readers found that 100% believe  SDG&E and its shareholders, not ratepayers, should bear responsibility for the wildfire settlement costs.

By Miriam Raftery

September 22, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) –  The Valley and Butte fires rank among the most destructive fires in California history, with nearly a thousand homes destroyed and tens of thousands of people evacuated.  More than 70,000 acres in California have burned in total this year.

East County News Service

File photo: Flooded road in Pine Valley, by Alex Tardy, National Weather Service

September 20, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch, cautioning that heavy rainfall and flash flooding is possible from Monday afternoon through Tuesday in San Diego’s eastern mountains and deserts.

Rainfall could exceed two inches in mountains and could top an inch in the deserts.  Recent wildfire burned areas will be particularly susceptible to flash flooding and debris flows.

East County News Service

September 14, 2015 (San Diego’s East County) – Over 11,000 firefighters are battling 12 large fires across California.  The fires have destroyed hundreds of homes and threaten thousands more.  Several firefighters have been injured (but are recovering) and at least one life has been lost in the Valley Fire.  Robert Louis Stevenson state park is closed due to the fires, which also continue to threaten giant sequoias at Kings Canyon National Park.

County Fire Chief Tony Mecham and the CAL FIRE unit in San Diego assure that stations in San Diego County are open and fully staffed; all days off for CAL-FIRE firefighters have been cancelled.  He also urged local residents to be prepared in case fires occur here, warning of dangerous conditions.

By Miriam Raftery

September 12, 2015 (Amador and Calaveras County) – An explosive wildfire is threatening some of California’s most historic gold rush towns including Angel’s Camp (famed site of Mark Twain’s  “The Celebrated Tale of the Jumping Frog of Calaveras County) as well as San Andreas, Pine Grove and Mokelumne Hill.  The Butte Fire is currently threatening 6,400 homes and has already burned 85 houses and 51 outbuildings. 

Over 100 square miles – 65,000 acres have been scorched in Amador and Calaveras Counties by the blaze, which is currently 15% contained. For full details and complete evacuation information, visit the Cal Fire Incident page: http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=1221