November 8, 2010 (Pine Valley) – Cal-Fire will be burning brush piles on the Corte Madera Ranch south of Pine Valley during the next two days. Smoke will be visible from through the eastern portions of San Diego County. Weather permitting, the burns will begin around 10 a.m. and should be completed by 2 p.m. both days as part of an ongoing vegetation management plan, said Nick Schuler, Cal-Fire battalion chief.

October 30, 2010 (La Mesa) -- The East San Diego County League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women are co-sponsoring a meeting with Augie Ghio, Fire Chief of San Miguel Fire Protection District.

The meeting will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 13, 2010, at the Helix Water District Boardroom, 7811 University Avenue, La Mesa.

October 22, 2010 (Ramona)--The Palomar Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest is conducting prescribed burning from October 19th 2010 to May, 2011 if weather and fuel moisture conditions permit. This vegetation treatment is for community defense, fuel break maintenance and forest health, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The prescribed burning will take place on Forest Service Land that adjoins the San Diego Country Estates.

October 11, 2010 (San Diego) -- If you see smoke over the central area of the County today, the source is likely to be training fires planned at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.  Training fires will be set off between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. today.

East County News Service

Update 9 p.m. Cal-Fire is sending five engines into Mexico.

September 26, 2010 (Tecate) 6:20 p.m. – Incident Page Network reports that a firetruck was overtaken by the fire at the U.S.- Mexico border fire shortly after 4 p.m. today. Cal-Fire spokesman Mike Mohler said he also received word that a fire truck may have burned but was unable to confirm.

However he assured, “All the firefighters are fine; a couple of civilians in Mexico were burned or injured and were transported to a medical facility in Mexico.”

September 25, 2010 (Santee) -- A brush fire in Santee charred approximately 40 acres late this afternoon, briefly threatening structures before firefights brought the blaze under control. Multiple agencies responded to the fire, which began at Carlton Hills and Lake Canyon.

September 20, 2010 (La Mesa) – Firefighters from La Mesa and San Diego Fire departments swiftly halted a brush fire that began at Connecticut Avenue and Delaware Avenue in La Mesa this afternoon, spreading onto a hillside at Del Cerro Boulevard and Elaine Way. The two-acre fire was extinguished with no homes damaged and no injuries.

Update 12 p.m. - This fire continues to spread and is moving toward the border, Cal-Fire's Nick Schuler said. There are currently 10 engines, 2 dozers, and 2 hand crews at the scene.  Helicopters are on the ground staging to combat the fire if it reaches the U.S.  In addition, air tankers are staging in Ramona if needed.  The fire is now 35+ acres.

September 19, 2010 (Boulevard) 11:25 a.m. – A brush fire is burning within 1,000 feet of the U.S.-Mexico border, just south of the community of Boulevard in East County. “Currently the fire is seven to 10 acres, rapid rate of spread moving in an easterly direction,” said Cal-Fire battalion chief Nick Schuler.

Update 3:25 p.m.  Aircraft have been released and firefighters remain on hand mopping up hotspots at the scene of the fire, which is now contained.

September 18, 2010 (Spring Valley) 2:10 p.m. - The Jamacha Fire is now 50 acres and forward spread is halted, Chief August Ghio of San Miguel Fire confirms.  The fire is under joing command of Cal-Fire, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and San Miguel Fire.

Anxious residents poured into the streets to watch the fire at the Lamplighter Village mobile home park, where flames encroached just behind the complex. Smoke is visible from throughout East County and an evacuation center has been set up at Skyline Church.

By Miriam Raftery

Funds allocated for facilities, equipment and technology—but no money to hire more firefighters

"You are sitting on $700 million in reserves at a time when San Diego County has had more people burn to death in wildfires in the past decade than anywhere else in the nation,” - Steve Whitburn, candidate for Supervisor

September 15, 2010 (San Diego) – The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday to consolidate rural fire agencies and create a regional fire protection plan recommended by a Fire Deployment Study. The Board also named Cal-Fire's Howard Windsor to head up the County Fire Authority.

“There’s more to do, but we’re moving forward,” Supervisor Dianne Jacob said. The plan allocates $15.5 million a year to the County fire agency, but Supervisors approved only $5 million this year for start-up efforts.

Update 2:35 p.m. Forward spread of this fire has been stopped.

September 9, 2010 (Valley Center) 2:15 p.m. – Cal-Fire is on the scene of a two- to three-acre brush fire off of Old Guejito Grade Road and North Lake Wohlford Road, near the community of Valley Center (Thomas Brothers Map page 1111 C-1). The fire was reported at 1:48 p.m. and the cause is under investigation. The fire is burning to the east and there is no immediate structure threat.

Update September 6, 12 p.m. - The Cowboy Fire is now 95% contained, Cal Fire reports. Cost to fight the fire has exceeded $2.7 million.

September 5, 2010 3:15 p.m. -- The Cowboy Fire, which has reached 827 acres, is now 84% contained.  Cost to fight the fire to date is nearly $1.9 million.

Story and photos by Dennis Richardson

September 4, 2010 (Ramona) -- Aerial firefighters continue battling the Cowboy Fire, which is currently 65% contained with full control predicted Monday night. If not for this Ramona air field,  brush-covered open spaces in our backcountry would be even greater threats to residents throughout San Diego County.