By Miriam Raftery

December 4, 2017 (San Diego) – If you lose your home or personal property in a natural disaster such as a wildfire or earthquake, or suffer theft, accident or vandalism, you won’t be able to deduct those property losses off your taxes after December. That’s because both the Senate and House versions of the Republicans’ tax bill eliminates these tax breaks.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Updated December 4, 2017

December 2, 2017 (San Diego) – The National Weather Service in San Diego is warning of prolonged, critical fire conditions in all areas of our county starting Monday morning through the end of the week. 

A red flag alert is in effect for coastal, mountain and valley areas through Thursday due to low humidity, above average temperatures and strong offshore winds.  A high wind warning has also been issued, with Santa Ana winds at 20 to 30 miles per hour and gusts up to 55 miles an hour forecast.

Upate December 4, 2017: The victim has been identified as Kenneth Owens, 76.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Lakeside Fire Chief Don Butz, on Facebook

December 1, 2017 (Lakeside) – A fire shortly after 4 a.m. this morning ruptured oxygen tanks, swiftly engulfing a home in the 9700 block of Emerald Hill Lane in Lakeside.  A 76-year-old man died in the fire after suffering second and third degree burns, but three other family members escaped, Patch.com reports. 

Fire crews from Lakeside, Santee, and Heartland Fire and Rescue responded to the fire, pulling out the victim who was declared dead at the scene, 10 News reports.  The blaze took a half hour to bring under control.

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Last year, 69 firefighters in the U.S. died in the line of duty, the National Fire Protection Association reports. But far more --139–took their own lives.

So far this year, 86 firefighters have been lost through suicide—including Cal Fire Captain Ryan Mitchell, who killed himself at the Pine Valley Bridge in San Diego’s East County earlier this month.

Jeff Dill, CEO and founder of the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance (www.ffbha.org) , is determined to save firefighters’ lives  through special workshops designed by a firefighter, for a firefighter.

Senator also sends CPUC letter voicing concern over delays in voting on a staff proposal to deny SDG&E’s request to charge ratepayers for 2007 fire losses

East County News Service

November 23, 2017 (Sacramento) – State Senator Jerry Hill, joined by Senators Mike McGuire and Scott Wiener and Assemblymembers Marc Levine and Jim Wood, have announced that they will introduce legislation in January to prevent electric utilities found culpable in wildfires from passing the costs for claims not covered by insurance as well as fines or penalties onto customers.

East County News Service

November 20, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) is continuing its support of the San Diego Regional Fire & Emergency Services Foundation (Fire Foundation) with a $116,459 grant for mobile data computers (MDCs), which will provide address and mapping information to first responders during medical emergencies and brush fires in rural back country areas of the county.

East County News Service

November 17, 2017 (San Diego) — Caltrans crews will close all southbound lanes of Interstate 5 (I-5) from the Interstate 805 merge to La Jolla Village Drive Sunday and Monday night from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following morning for bridge work.

All motorists will be detoured to southbound I-805, to westbound State Route 52, to the SR-52/I-5 interchange.

Crews will be working on two separate bridge projects. One is the construction of the Gilman Drive Bridge project, the other is bridge maintenance at the I-5 Sorrento Valley Viaduct, this pavement work will take place on the main lanes of I-5.

By Miriam Raftery

Updated Nov. 22, 2017 to include information on suicide prevention for firefighters through the Firefighters Behavioral Health Alliance.

November 6, 2017 (Pine Valley) – Local firefighters, heroic in battling flames and saving lives, today are grieving the tragic loss of one of their own.  Cal Fire Unit Chief and County Fire Chief Tony Mecham announced yesterday on Facebook, “It is with a heavy heart and great sadness that I notify you of the passing of Fire Captain Ryan Mitchell from Station 20. Ryan took his own life this morning at the Pine Valley Bridge shortly after completing his shift.”

By Miriam Raftery

October 31, 2017 (San Diego) – An ex-parte meeting between representatives of Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), Southern California Edison and a California Public Utilities Commissioner’s advisor was held October 4^th regarding the application by San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) for authorization to recover costs related to the 2007 wildfires.  SDG&E has sought to charge ratepayers for its uninsured losses pursuant to a Wildfire Expense Management Account (WEMA).

Smoke from fires in Mexico drifting into San Diego County

October 26, 2017 (San Diego) -- The County of San Diego’s Air Pollution Control District (APCD) issued a smoke advisory Thursday, suggesting people should limit their outdoor activities if they smell smoke from the fires burning in Mexico. Portions of North County were also impacted by a brush fire in Riverside County.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Smoke from crash visible on UCSD’s HP Wren camera

October 23, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The small plane that crashed late Saturday afternoon east of the El Capitan Reservoir, sparking a 20-acre brush fire during a red flag warning for high fire danger, was an Extra EA-300/L plane registered to KD Leasing in Henderson, Nevada, National Transportation Safety Administration (NTSA) records indicate. 

East County Wildfire and Emergency Alerts

Story and photos by Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  Harris Fire viewed from Barrett Junction, the morning of October 21, 2007

October 21, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – Ten years ago today, I was among the first reporters on the scene when the devastating 2007 firestorms began.  I couldn’t believe that just four years after the deadly Cedar Fire, the nightmare was occurring again –on what turned out to be an even more horrific scale.  

Out of the ashes of those fires, East County Magazine and our East County Wildfire and Emergency Alerts were born, to help fill a need for critical information in real-time.

Source: CAL FIRE

October 20, 2017 (San Diego) -- As Firefighters in Northern California continue to make progress on 9 large wildfires burning across the State, the true magnitude of the devastation of loss of life and property is beginning to come to life.  This recent series of fires is the deadliest in California State History. Since the start of the October Fire Siege on October 8, there have been 21 major wildfires that burned over 245,000 acres, forced 100,000 people to evacuate, destroyed 6,900 structures and sadly took the lives of 42 people.