By Miriam Raftery

May 1, 2014 (Spring Valley) – A brush fire along State Route 125 near Jamacha Boulevard in Spring Valley led to evacuations of several home along Elkelton Boulevard near Sweetwater Reservoir this afternoon. 

The blaze charred about two acres and scorched a shed before firefighters brought it under control with help from a water-dropping helicopter. Animal Control was called to assist with pigs behind one of the homes, a witness stated.

Public Urged to be Cautious Outdoors

Source: Cal Fire

April 29, 2014 (Sacramento)-- With gusty dry winds forecast for Southern California, CAL FIRE has increased its staffing and is urging the public to be extra cautious as fire danger heightens. The Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch for many areas in Southern California starting Tuesday for high winds with gusts of 55 mph along with low humidity lasting through Thursday.

Update 5 p.m. A new fire is reported in the Carlton Hills area of Santee.  For timely updates visit www.Twitter.com and follow ViejasAlerts.  As of 5:30 p.m., 5 acres have burned in Santee from a blaze that started in the San Diego River bed.  Forward spread was stopped at the Carlton Hills golf course with help from four helicopters droping water before the fire reached 125.  Fences were burned but no structures were damaged. There were no injuries.

The Ramona fire has been extinguished.

April 29, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – A full wildland response by Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service has been ordered for a vegetation fire that reportedly began in a compost pile in Ramona.  Heartland Fire is also on the scene.

The fire is burning near Dye Road and Ramona Street, between Highway 67 and San Vicente.   View map:https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dye+Rd+%26+Ramona+St/@33.0083989,-116.8796472,14z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x80dbe6729949d82d:0xfecc04e91f9678d1

April 19, 2014 (San Diego's East County) --Listen to a tape of the fire whistleblower interview here, which originally aired on the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ 89.1 FM on April 18, 2014: 

https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/sites/eastcountymagazine.org/files/au...

Just how effective is the new County Fire Authority at fire protection?  While some areas have improved since the 2003 and 2007 wildfires,Craig Williams, an information technology specialist with Campo Fire Department shares shocking details on fire stations unmanned across our backcountry—and what could be done to keep rural residents safe. 

April 11, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) -- In 2007, when devastating wildfires ripped through San Diego County, John Hartman and his family were left without a home. But the fires took more than replaceable items; they also separated the family from their dog, Buddy.

Photos above:   Sign amid charred terrain reads, "As these habitats recover from fire, a colorful variety of bird liife will return."

By Miriam Raftery

March 28, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – One month after a controlled burn at Cuyamaca sparked controversy, as ECM reported , the State Park Service has failed to answer any of our questions.  Two elected officials have issued statements supportive of burn policies despite mature pines and cedars being torched in a park  an estimated 99% of its mature pines to the 2003 Cedar Fire, which charred 95% of the entire park.

But new photos taken after the burn reveal that the fire also burned d15-foot-tall saplings planted after the Cedar Fire, foot bridges, and a “habitat restoration” area for wildlife replanted as part of reforestation efforts after the Cedar Fire.

Cal Fire has insisted that the burn did not jump out of control, though local cabin owner Craig Maxwell says a state park ranger told him it did.  But if firefighters did not lose control of the burn, this raises an even more troubling question:  Why would State Park officials charged with protecting our public parks order the destruction of some of the last remaining mature pines and cedars, as well as plantings established to replaced what burned in 2003?

Moreover, this region has also been decimated by oak-boring beetles that have killed thousands of trees locally, making protection of what remains even more critical.

March 24, 2014 (Alpine) - The San Diego County Fire Chiefs and the Viejas band of the Kumeyaay nation will be conducting their annual Fire Preparedness Exercise on April  3^rd , 4^th and 7^th on the Viejas Indian reservation.

By Nadin Abbott

Photo, left taken March 8, 2014 by Greg Bowerman, creekcrossingphotography.com

Additional photos by Tom and Nadin Abbott

Update March 10: This fire is now contained.

Update March 9, 2014 -- The fire has burned 125 acres and is 30% contained according to the Incident page set up for the Gun Fire: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3783/  .  The wind advisory has been upgraded to a wind warning with gusts up to 70 mph on ridges possible.

March 8, 2014 (Mt Laguna) A fire that started around 1 p.m. in the afternoon in the Kitchen Creek area in Cleveland National Forest spread to 75-100 acres. The blaze was 5 percent containment by 4:40 p.m. with no estimate yet for full containment. 

A wind advisory has been issued for tomorrow and ECM news partner 10 News reports that crews could be battling this fire for days. Sustained winds of 15-30 mph with gusts up to 55 mph are forecast.

Power is out to more than 500 residences in Japatul Valley, Buckman Springs, Morena Village, Guatay, Pine Valley and Mount Laguna due to a power shut off to protect firefightings working closer to powerlines. SDG&E estimates power will be restored at 5:30 a.m. Sunday.

March 6, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – On March 4, the San Diego Rural Fire Protection District’s board majority voted to dissolve the district and join the County Fire Authority. 

Board member Lou Russo (photo, left) voted against the action and says he intends to pursue a protest allowed under the Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, that would require signatures from 25% of the district’s voters in order to put the matter on the ballot.

Russo said he views the County takeover of the district as “nothing more than a power grab.” He is also asking why residents in some Alpine areas did not receive a letter about the proposed action so that they could attend the meeting.

Source: Alpine Mountain Empire Chamber of Commerce

March 1, 2014 (Alpine)-- Fire benefit fees will increase by 1.1 percent this year in Alpine as a result of a 3-2 vote by the Alpine Fire Protection District Board.  The increase would be about 71 cents a year for the average single-family dwelling and $1.80 annually for the average business to a total of $65.59 per home and $164 per business, according to district staff. Board members made the decision after their annual benefit fee review at their Feb. 18 meeting, when they also approved buying a new fire pumper with the help of a $127,802 Indian Gaming Local Community Benefit Grant.

February 26, 2014 (Lakeside)-- Arriving at Blue Sky Ranch on January 16th, a team of 10 young adults from AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) began a 9-week service project. The team is working with Lakeside River Park Conservancy, Blue Sky Ranch and Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary on various projects until their departure on March 20th.

Local fire board member questions County Fire Authority’s reliance on Cal Fire in wake or ruling

By Miriam Raftery

A Superior Court judge has fined Cal Fire $32 million  to cover legal bills for Sierra Pacific Industries after Cal Fire blamed a logger working for the company of causing a 2007 wildfire in Plumas County.  Judge Leslie Nichols accused Cal Fire of “egregious and reprehensible conduct” including covering up evidence, lying, and engaging in “corrupt and tainted actions.”

Cal Fire had sought to recover its firefighting costs.  But the case against Sierra Pacific was dismissed in July  for lack of evidence and last week, the judge announced sanctions against Cal Fire.

January 22, 2014 (Dehesa) – Officials are investigating the cause of a white SUV found fully engulfed in fire on the morning of Tuesday, January 21.  

“I am the resident that found the SUV while leaving for work. Fire was coming from the interior of the SUV with its windows rolled down part way,” Darin L. Wessel told ECM.   The vehicle was pulled off Sloane Canyon Road at Model A Ford Lane, parked near trees and brush.  Wessel took these photos after calling 911  and said the incident is being investigated as possible arson.  “The conversations I overheard indicated there may have been a rag hanging out of the gas tank.”

By Miriam Raftery

January 14, 2014 (San Diego's East County)--Are babies and children at risk of suppressed immune systems from wildfire smoke?

A new study at the University of Califiornia, Davis, suggests this could be the case.

The study was conducted by the  University and by the California Air Resources Board. It looked at 25 young Rhesus Macaque monkeys born at the university’s Primate Research Center during summer of 2008, when smoke from over 2,000 fires that burned over a million acres drifted into the area. The monkeys born during the wildfires, and  who were living outdoors, were found to have suppressed immune systems.  Their blood samples were placed in tissue culture dishes, then exposed to disease pathogens—and showed reduced ability to  generate immune responses to diseases than blood from 25 other monkeys born a year later.