Should more fire districts become part of Cal Fire/County Fire? The Grand Jury thinks so, but San Miguel and Alpine districts hotly contest that finding

By Karen Pearlman

September 11, 2025 (San Diego County) -- San Miguel Fire Consolidated Protection District is taking the lead in challenging a San Diego County Civil Grand Jury report released earlier this year that recommends consolidation of fire protection districts around San Diego County, and recommending that “willing” districts become part of the San Diego County Fire Protection District. The goal is to improve fire protection services.

San Miguel Fire Chief Andy Lawler is pushing back against a narrative that recommends standalone fire districts like his become part of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire). Alpine Fire also aims to stay independent, while some other districts have already relinquished local control, in most cases voluntarily though one community fought consolidation in court.

History of fire consolidation efforts in San Diego County

“Since the tragic 2003 Cedar Fire the Grand Jury has paid close attention to San Diego County programs to address wildfire prevention and response in unincorporated areas. The most recent report commended actions taken by what was then known as the San Diego County Fire Authority in close partnership with CalFire to improve round-the-clock fire services across the unincorporated areas and to consolidate 15 (of 28) rural FPDs,” states the Grand Jury report.

The San Diego County Fire Protection District (SDCFPD) is a unique and integrated system. Rather than being a single, standalone department, it's a cooperative model where CalFire provides fire and emergency services under a contract with the County of San Diego.

In unincorporated areas of the county, some firefighters and command staff are CalFire employees, but they operate under the direction of the San Diego County Fire Authority which oversees the SDCFPD.

Others are notable standalones that remain independent including San Miguel, the Alpine Fire Protection District, Lakeside Fire Protection District and several others.

Some formerly independent districts have already been consolidated under the County Fire and CalFire umbrella. Borrego Springs joined the county system in 2023 at the request of the Borrego fire district. In some rural areas, where there weren't enough volunteer firefighters to man the station many days, the service likely improved.

Residents in Julian, by contrast, balked at the county taking over its volunteer fire department, sparking a lawsuit in which the county prevailed, so the volunteer district was dissolved. After consolidation, some residents complained of safety issues such as a Cal Fire engine stuck in snow due to lacking a snow plow, as well as reports of brush rigs being first to respond to some fires instead of a larger rig, which may have resulted in structures lost. There have also been anecdotal complaints of fire stations in remote areas such as Ranchita sometimes left unattended.  ECM has asked for staffing records for selection stations,but has not yet received a response.

Photo, left:  A Julian business posted a banner opposing Cal Fire moving into the former Julian Volunteer Firefighters' station.)

The Grand Jury report notes that Borrego Springs “cited financial considerations in their respective decisions” to approach San Diego County Fire “and request that SDCFPD assume their fire protection responsibilities.” Borrego, as well as Ramona (which contracted with the county in 2022) benefitted by receiving new personnel and equipment as well as commitments to improve facilities as part of their transition to SDCFPD.

“The Ramona and Borrego Springs experiences speak to the efficacy and value of further consolidation of fire services under SDCF,” the Grand Jury report said.

San Miguel's return to independent status

The San Miguel district has a major stake in the region because it is the largest in the county, covering 47 square miles including Casa de Oro, Spring Valley, Grossmont, Mt. Helix, Rancho San Diego, Dehesa, Crest, Bostonia, and unincorporated parts of El Cajon and La Mesa.

San Miguel also has a unique history with consolidation.

While facing serious budget cuts and a decline in property tax revenues, San Miguel Fire’s Board of Directors in September 2012 entered into a 5½-year contract with Cal Fire for its fire protection needs. But the SMFPD board terminated the deal in 2016 to take back its standalone status in July 2017, after consolidation opponents won election. Those favoring returning to independent status indicated that firefighters were asked to work longer hours, leading to fatigue.

“If you look at our district as a whole, we are more sensitive to this topic than probably most because of what we went through,” Chief Lawler said. “I think as long as the (San Miguel governing) board is OK with it, I’m not going to sit on my heels… It’s bureaucratic red tape when you get into it, especially in that system. And what’s really blurred here is we say ‘County’ but we need to remember the patch they have on the side both sides of their arms it’s a State patch. And I think that’s a problem -- they’re saying they’re county but they are the state of California.”

The Findings of the 2024-25 Grand Jury

The Grand Jury report notes how in recent years, fire risk has intensified. In 2024, CalFire reported the County responded to 32 fires with more than 10 acres of destruction each, and noted that most of those occurred in unincorporated areas.

The risk is even greater, the Grand Jury reports, because development along the urban-wildland interface has expanded continuously -- with county estimates suggesting the potential for 60,000 additional residential units. Industrial expansion is also underway in unincorporated areas, including at least 10 projects under review for the construction of additional Battery Energy Storage Systems, which have been linked to increased fire risk.

The Grand Jury’s findings included:

·       Given rising costs of personnel, construction and equipment, “fire protection districts in unincorporated areas “should expect to require increased resources to effectively prevent and respond to wildfires.”

·       Consolidation has improved response times, upgraded equipment, augmented staff and in other ways improved fire protection across the San Diego County Fire Protection District’s area of responsibility.

·       Uniform defensible space and burn permit codes contribute to fire prevention efforts across unincorporated county areas.

Its recommendations included:

·       Explore consolidation of “additional willing FPDs (Fire Protection Districts) to improve overall efficiency and community safety.”

·       Lead an effort with current FPDs to standardize defensible space requirements and controlled burn permitting across the unincorporated areas.

·       Increase cooperation with FPDs to maximize opportunities to meet wildfire hardening standards (landscape practices designed to make structures more resistant to ignition from fires), receive home inspections and enhance access to fire insurance.

Lawler said that while San Miguel appreciated the Grand Jury’s intent to improve wildfire resilience and the provision of services, it disagrees on several items.

Lawler did not mince words in his official response to the Grand Jury report, which was published in May, and made several findings and recommendations for the County to consider.

“The Grand Jury’s report raises important concerns about wildfire preparedness, but its call for accelerated consolidation under the San Diego County Fire Protection District overlooks the proven value of local governance and the broad range of emergency services provided by independent fire agencies,” Lawler wrote in his official response to the report.

“SMCFPD operates with legal authority, strong community trust, and an established record of operational effectiveness. While regional coordination is essential, this can and does occur through mutual aid, shared training, and formal agreements — without sacrificing local control.

“A one-size-fits-all approach risks eroding tailored fire prevention efforts and community engagement while creating potential disruptions to other emergency services currently provided by Fire Protection Districts. SMCFPD emphasizes collaboration over consolidation and proven local leadership over structural mandates.”

Lawler pointed out that local governance is constitutionally and statutorily protected, that “local control over the types, levels and availability of these services is a long-standing tradition in California.” He said that FPDs are embedded deeply in their communities and that its structure of elected local boards for governing purposes are “tailored to the unique geographic, ecological and cultural needs of their jurisdictions.”

Lawler said that San Miguel responds to about 15,000 calls for service annually and provides rescue, EMS and hazardous material response. It also offers weed abatement that ensures the clearing of hazardous vegetation through a dedicated contractor -- a service the county lacks.

He also shared that San Miguel has demonstrated operational excellence and fiscal responsibility independently and was recognized in a 2025 national award granted by the Government Finance Officers Association.

Alpine opposes consolidation

Alpine Fire District Fire Chief Brian Boggeln said his district agrees about the need for consistency in defensible space requirements and supporting community in wildfire preparedness, and works with the County FPD and other neighboring agencies.

But Boggeln expressed concerns about maintaining the independence and accountability the district has had since it formed in 1957.

“We are directly accountable to our community, both fiscally and operationally, and we believe that model continues to serve Alpine well,” Boggeln said. “While we support regional collaboration, we do not believe consolidation is in the best interest of Alpine residents.”

He said there is concern that if Alpine were to be absorbed by the San Diego County Fire Protection District, the community could lose the direct representation and local governance it has today.

Its elected board of directors, all Alpine residents, “knows the unique needs of this community and responds directly to them.”

He said that on July 15, the Alpine Fire District board voted unanimously to affirm that the district is not interested in pursuing consolidation.

Supervisors Weigh In

In late July, the San Diego County Supervisors acknowledged the report and had the county Chief Administrative Officer Ebony Shelton share public responses to its findings.

The county leaders several times said that while it agreed with some of the findings, it also did not feel it could “respond on behalf of other agencies.”

In one of the responses, the county wrote that it increased resources to County Fire in its Recommended Operational Plan for Fiscal Years 2025-27.

As to the recommendations, the county wrote that two of them – consolidation of willing fire protection districts and efforts to standardize defensible space requirements/controlled burn permitting -- needed “further analysis” and again that it “cannot respond on behalf of other agencies.”

The county said that consolidation “could be explored” if an independent FPD takes action by filing an application for dissolution with the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO).

It also wrote that every three years, the county’s fire code is updated, and that “San Diego County Fire leads recurring meetings of fire protection district fire marshals to minimize fire code differences between agencies.” The county noted that it would explore standardizing fire code differences with the marshals “but it will be up to each independent FPD to take action.”

Change is Not Mandated

The San Diego County Civil Grand Jury’s findings and recommendations do not mean that any change is imminent.

The Grand Jury is made up of a body of 19 residents who are selected by the San Diego County Superior Court. They are charged and sworn to investigate county matters of civil concern

James Tuck, the 2024-25 Grand Jury Foreman, said he could not share the person or entity that asked for the Grand Jury to look into the consolidation matter.

Tuck said the Grand Jury website https://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/sdcourt/jury2/grandjury has a link for people to share suggestions on matters they want it to look into.

He said that this was not the first time, nor would it be the last time, that a Grand Jury looked into fire matters.

Tuck said Grand Jury makes a case at the beginning of the report about the 2003 Cedar Fire (which burned nearly 275,000 acres) and the 2007 Witch Creek Fire (more than 195,000 acres burned), which devastated the county.

Tuck said the Grand Jury also considered last January’s fires in Los Angeles, and the report refers to the “less-damaging but still significant” Lilac Fire (which burned 4,100 acres in 2017) and Border 2 Fire (in January of this year, which grew to nearly 7,000 acres) that scorched San Diego County.

“I think if nothing else it really raised the importance of having fire preparedness and prevention forefront on our minds and really start to think about our unincorporated areas that are becoming more and more developed,” Tuck said. “There’s more people living there, and  more of us are going to be at risk for fire hazards just by virtue of us being in the backcountry.”

County/CalFire Fire Chief’s Thoughts

Tony Mecham, San Diego County Fire Chief and Cal Fire Unit Chief (photo, left), said that he believes that in every community County Fire has gone into, it has improved the region’s fire protection. He acknowledged that the county is open to any interested parties who are interested in consolidating their districts.

But like Lawler said, Mecham agreed that it’s not always a one-size-fits-all.

“We’ve been more cost effective, more efficient, all those things,” he said. “But on the other hand, I have to respect that these are independent government agencies, elected by the voters. I don’t know that I really have standing to say that I know that their district would benefit. Do I do I think some would benefit? Yes.”

Mecham said he wasn’t going to be making any outgoing calls to the standalone districts.

“We would love to sit down and talk to people about opportunities, but they have to call my phone,” he said.

CalFire and the County have been accused of taking over agencies, but Mecham said that is not the case.

He did say that the county is “willing to sit down with anyone if they feel they could improve service to their community by partnering with the county.”

Property Taxes and Other Fiscal Notes

The property tax allocation for FPDs is also of note.

The 12 current FPDs under County jurisdiction in the unincorporated areas cooperate well within their means, but their resources vary, the Grand Jury reported.

Property taxes are the main revenue source for most FPDs. The eight FPDs formed before voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978 receive a larger share of property tax revenues (as much as 12 percent) than those formed after 1978 (as little as 2 percent).

San Miguel Fire’s average annual tax increment allocation is 14.17 percent, and County Fire’s is 6 percent. Also by comparison, Alpine is 10.29 percent and Lakeside is 16.97 percent.

In an email, Anna Brown, legislative coordinator for County Supervisor Joel Anderson, wrote and explained to Lawler that San Miguel is a “pre prop 13 agency, which is why their allocation is at 14.17%.”

Brown said that each agency formed prior to Prop 13 had a property tax allocation based on whatever was negotiated when they were created.

“Prop 13 and subsequent legislation locked in that rate,” Brown wrote. “Agencies that were formed after Prop 13 were left with negotiating a new base percentage with the County, and they only received about 2%.”

All FPDs seek additional resources through grants, service fees, special taxes and donations but collectively these form a relatively small percentage of funding.

The Grand Jury report said that as equipment, construction and personnel costs increase, some FPDs are struggling to retain staff, upgrade facilities or equipment, and meet the increasing demand for services.

The report noted that in October 2024, County Supervisors agreed “to increase the property tax allocations for Deer Springs and Valley Center FPDs from 2.1 percent to 6 percent each but noted continued disparities in fire protection resources across the unincorporated areas."