By Miriam Raftery, East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Photo, left:  Cal Fire, 9/2/2017

Photo, below right: Paula Maness, 9/1/2017

September 2, 2017 (Dulzura) – The Border Fire south of Dulzura is now 75 percent contained and has charred an estimated 130 acres, according to Cal Fire.

The brush fire began yesterday along Highway 94 near Marron Valley Road.It is currently spreading to the northeast and is not expected to impact populations. Firefighters will remain on scene constructing containment lines and  mopping up hot spots.

East County News Service

September 1, 2017 (Dulzura) – A Cal Fire helicopter assigned to firefighting on the Border Fire south of Dulzura today made a hard landing in a field adjacent to the brush fire.

The pilot was the sole occupant on board and did not suffer any injuries, Cal Fire reports.

East County Wildfire and Emergency Alerts

Photo:  Ranchita Sheriff substation

Update August 27, 8 a.m.  The fire is now 80 percent contained and Montezuma Valley Road is reopening.  Full containing is expected later today, Cal Fire reports.

Update 9:30 p.m.  The Montezuma fire is now 60 percent contained.

August 26, 2017 (Borrego Springs) -- The Montezuma Fire has charred 62 acres and is now 20 percent contained, with forward spread stopped, Cal Fire reports.

The blaze began this afternoon when a Jeep Fire ignirted dry brush along Montezuma Valley Road near Borrego Springs. 

Update August 22:  The fire is 80% contained and holding at 200 acres, per Cal Fire. 175 federal, state and local firefighters have been battling the blaze.  Cause has not been determined.

Update 6:00 p.m.: Forward spread of fire has been stopped and threat to Campo Indian reservation mitigated, Cal Fire reports.

Update 4:12 p.m.:  Campo Sheriff Substation reports  EclipseFire is at 200 acres. Safe zone is at Mountain Empire High School, 3305 Buckman Springs Rd. in Campo. Fire is advancing at moderate spread, 10-15 mph winds, 0% contained.

Update 3:50 p.m.:  Campo Indian reservation is also now threatened, Cal Fire tweeted moments ago. Evacuations are in progress.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Donna Tisdale

August 21, 2017 (Campo) -- The #EclipseFire has burned 25 acres at La Posta Road and Royal Willie Road in the Campo area.  Structures are now threatened and evacuations are occurring at a Navy training site on La Posta Road, Isaac Sancheez, Cal Fire public information officer, has advised ECM.

The fire is burning at moderate rate of spread and no structures are threatened, according to Cal Fire.  The California Highway has ordered closure of La Posta Road. 

SDG&E has dispatched its air crane to help battle the blaze.

Story and photos by Julie Pendray

Photo:  County Fire Authority Chief Tony Mecham addressed about 100 people at a special meeting of Julian/Cuyamaca Fire Protection District on July 27.

August 9, 2017 (Julian) – Impassioned pleas to save the volunteer firefighting operation in this historic California gold mining town were rebutted by cold, hard, financial facts at a special public meeting of the Julian/Cuyamaca Fire Protection District.

Country threatens to take away all funds and a fire/paramedic engine if district board refuses County’s offer

East County News Service

July 27, 2017 (Julian) -- On Thursday, July 27 at 6:30 pm, at the Julian Fire Station (3407 Highway 79 in Julian), the San Diego County Fire Authority will make its final presentation to try to convince the community to dissolve its volunteer fire department and be accepted under the Fire Authority. 

The meeting will begin with a professional video mad for  the Julian-Cuyamaca Fire Protection District (JCFPD),  followed by a Powerpoint presentation by County Fire Chief Tony Mecham. The audience will be able to ask questions and express concerns.

The County is proposing that, at a cost of $1.5 million, it will provide a staff of three professional firefighters 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. But if the JCFPD refuses the offer, the County will withdraw all financial support that it has been giving for 30 years, including a paramedic/engine placed at CalFire almost 2 years ago.

Update July 23, 2017 8 p.m.-- The fire is 40% contained and has burned 255 acres. The evacuation advisory for Chihuahua Valley Road has been lifted as firefighters make good progress on this fire.

Update July 23, 2017, 8:20 a.m. (Warner Springs) -- With better mapping the fire is now estimated at 210 acres. Cleveland National Forest and CAL FIRE are fighting it in a joint command.  Hiikers are urge to avoid the Pacific Crest trail in the area. An evacuation advisory is in effect for Chihuahua Valley Road.

East County News Service

July 22, 2017 (Warner Springs) -- A 300-acre wildfire dubbed the #LostFire is burning four miles north of Warner Springs and is zero percent contained ths evening, according to County Emergency Services and CAL FIRE.

The blaze began at the Indian Flats Campground off State Route 79.  Indian Flats campground has been evacuated. Hwy 79 closed at Indian Flats Rd., Chihuahua Valley Rd. and Puerta LaCruz Rd

By Miriam Raftery

July 19, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – San Miguel Fire District has launched a Facebook page to alert residents about daily fire and rescue incidents within the district.  You can view the page here: https://www.facebook.com/SanMiguelFireRescue/

Update July 13, 2017:  The fire is now 90% contained and holding at 400 acres, Cal Fire reports.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Renee Owens

July 12, 2017 (Lakeside) - The Jennings Fire that began yesterday in Lakeside has charred over 400 acres and is 30 percent contained. Cause of ignition was a vehicle.

All evacuation orders and warnings for the Jennings Fire have been lifted in the fire area.  The Temporary Evacuation Points at Joan MacQueen Middle School and Granite Hills High School have been closed. All roadways are reopened.

East County News Service

July 11, 2017 (Flinn Springs) – “I watched this whole fire play out, since we live so close,” Renee Owens wrote in an email to ECM. “It’s not the first fire I have ever witnessed, but this one got so hot and moved so quickly at first it was downright scary. You could hear the trees pop and explode, the fire reached 60 foot flames on some of the steep slopes, and stopped right at the I-8 just a couple hundred feet from a huge propane storage tank. It traveled frighteningly fast at first, but once the air tankers and helicopters showed up - combined with hitting some steep and sparsely vegetated cliff faces - they managed to tamp it down pretty quickly despite the heat and wind. It came within a couple hundred feet of houses near Dunbar lane. Watching it go from enormously hot and fast to under control was seriously impressive, and we owe some major thanks to the pilots on this one.”

As of 10 p.m. tonight, the fire is 10% contained and has burned over 400 acres.  All roads have been reopened.

Three firefights injured battling blaze

By Miriam Raftery,  photo by Jonathan Goetz

July 11, 2017 (Alpine/Lakeside./Flinn Springs) -- The #JenningsFire that began at 1:40 p.m. near Lake Jennings in Lakeside has swelled to 400 acres, Cal Fire reports.  Forward spread of the fire has been stopped.

Mandatory evacuations are in effect for 15000 Viewside Lane along the south side of I-8 in Alpine and is a structure threat to five homes. 

An evacuation center is open at Joan MacQueen Middle School located at 2001 Tavern Road in Alpine.

An earlier announced evacuation center at Granite Hills High has been closed.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo courtesy San Bernadino County Fire Department

July 10, 2017 (San Diego) – It’s shaping up to be an extreme fire season.  Over 6,100 firefighters are battling at least 14 large wildfires burning across California, CAL FIRE public information officer Issac Sanchez reports on behalf of CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire Chief Tony Mecham. The U.S. Forest Service is also battling numerous fires on federal forest and national park lands, including Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.  

By Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

July 10, 2017 (San Diego) -- Wildfires seem to be burning daily in almost every county. You may not live directly in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) however you will likely be impacted by the large amount of smoke generated by these fires.

East County News Service

July 9, 2017 (Spring Valley) -- San Miguel Fire & Rescue will hold a graduation and badge pinning ceremony for all 85 members of its Fire District on July 11th at 4 p.m. at Cuyamaca College, Bldg B.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo credit Calif. Department of Corrections

July 5, 2017 (Lakeside) — An inmate firefighter has suffered a life-threatening injury after he lost control of a chainsaw that cut his leg, Fox 5 reports.

The firefighter was working at the scene of a brush fire that began around 1:30 p.m. near Olde Highway 80 and Los Coches Road in Lakeside.   Mobile homes were briefly threatened before firefighters got the blaze under control.