Update 5:20 p.m. The fire is now out and was contained to less than an acre. Firefighters are mopping up hot spots, according to Santee Fire's Brett Eldridge.  Cause is believed to be accidental, possibly from a bulldozer scraping rocks, he added.  

September 2, 2010 (Santee) 4:40 p.m. – A brush fire has broken out at the Sycamore Landfill in Santee at 8514 Mast Boulevard. “So far I’ve seen Santee, El Cajon, and La Mesa Fire roll down my street,” said Mark Schoonover, who shot the photo above.

September 1, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- Effective Friday September 3, at 6:00 a.m., the Cleveland National Forest will raise the fire danger level to VERY HIGH. Forest use restrictions under the very high level will be implemented at that time.

County honors deputies who saved couple’s lives during Monte Fire;

Climbers offer safety tips for others

By Miriam Raftery

August 26, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego Sheriff’s deputies Gary Kneeshaw and Scott Blight saved two rock climbers trapped on the face of El Capitan mountain during the Monte Fire in Lakeside on Saturday.  Today, the deputies were honored with a commendation from the County Board of Supervisors for their heroic actions in a daring ASTREA helicopter rescue. In a press conference at Gillespie Field in El Cajon today, Lieutenant Richardson praised the deputies for actions “above and beyond the call of duty” which “without a doubt, saved the lives” of rock climbers André Doria and Meg Rippy.
 

Doria and Rippy, 27-year-old graduate students at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, revealed details of their ordeal to East County Magazine.

East County News Service

Update 7 p.m. - The fire is now fully contained.

August 23, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) –The Monte Fire, which started Saturday at 1 p.m. in the El Monte Park area of Lakeside, is now 75% contained. Full containment is expected by 6 p.m. today, according to the Southern California Interagency incident management team.
 

El Monte Road at Lake Jennings Road remains closed today, along with El Capitan Reservoir and El Monte Park. Cause remains under investigation.

East County News Service

Update 6:05 p.m. This fire is now 50% contained at 30 acres; aerial support has been released, Cal-Fire reports.

August 22, 2010 (Santa Ysabel) – Cal-Fire is on the scene of a 25-acre brush fire off Highway 79 near the Santa Ysabel Casino, assisted by U.S. Forest Service, volunteer fire agencies, and the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. One firefighter has suffered minor injury, Cal-Fire spokesperson Roxanne Provaznik reports.

By Miriam Raftery

August 21, 2010 (Lakeside) -- As East County Magazine reported earlier, a San Diego Sheriff's helicopter rescued two people trapped on the face of El Capitan (El Cajon Mountain) when the fast-moving Monte fire encroached below them.

Now the Sheriff and Cal-Fire have released details of the harrowing ordeal, revealing how two deputies risked their own lives to save others.  They narrowly escaped, as flames burned so close that one rescuer leaped onto a landing skid and hung on as the chopper descended 3,675 feet to the valley floor.

Fire burning along Powerlink route; eagle's nest threatened

By Miriam Raftery
 

August 21, 2010 (Lakeside) 5:15 p.m. – Firefighters are expected to work through the night battling a blaze that Cal-Fire now estimates at 2,000 acres, with 5-10% containment. (Note: Cal-Fire issued a correction of an earlier release, which had indicated 3,000 acres.)

"The fire went right up El Cap to where one of the towers is to be located," Candy Barra-Jenkins said of the planned Sunrise Powerlink line. "All the pictures I took of the planes and helicopters are where the transmission line would be. This fire would have been much worse if the transmission line were here." View more of her fire photos.
 

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Dennis Richardson

August 21, 2010 (Lakeside) – 2:50 p.m. – Two rock climbers were trapped 1,500 feet up the side of El Capitan, dangling on the sheer rock face in El Monte Valley with a wildfire burning toward him.  Moments ago, Sheriff's Lieutenant Munsey informed ECM that the climber has been rescued.  Cal-Fire reports that a total of 10 people have been evacuated via helicopter, including 8 residents and the two climbers.

August 21, 2010 (Lakeside) -- CAL FIRE is on scene of another brush fire on the north side of El Monte Road near the community of Lakeside (T.B. Map 1213 B6). The fire is currently 10 acres in size and burning at the base of El Cajon Mountain.

August 21, 2010  12:50 p.m. (Santee) - A fire in the vicinity of Prospect in Santee briefly threatened homes, ECM learned from our fire spotter in the field. Firefighters brought the blaze under control within minutes and aerial support requests have been cancelled.

August 3, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) board of directorshas unanimously approved a $25,000 grant to the non-profit San Diego Regional Fire & Emergency Services Foundation.  

Eloy Bazan suspected in Lakeside blazes

July 30, 2010 (Lakeside)--An arrest has been made in connection with a series of recent vegetation fires in the Lakeside area. The most recent fire occurred last night  near I-8 and Los Coches Road at approximately 10:45 pm. Fire crews were able to quickly extinguish the fire; there was no damage to structures and no one was injured.

July 25, 2010 (Campo) – A brush fire reported at 3:22 p.m. in the 600 block of Forest Gate Road burned approximately 10 acres in Campo today. “No homes were threatened and there were no evacuations,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief Nick Schuler informed East County Magazine.

July 25, 2010 (Spring Valley) 3:35 p.m. – A fast-moving brush fire is burning on Dictionary Hill, where homes are being evacuated on Grand Avenue. Two helicopters and a type-3 strike team have been requested; Heartland Fire crews are now at the scene.