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New fire burning in Mexico, a half mile south of the border
By Miriam Raftery
Photo, left by Barry Jantz: Valley Fire earlier this week, viewed from Jamul
September 9, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – The Valley Fire is now 27% contained as firefighters held it to 17,665 acres today after a night of Santa Ana winds. Some evacuation orders have been reduced to evacuation warnings tonight, enabling residents evacuated from the Valley Fire to return home with proof of residence in these areas:
- Corte Madera Ranch
- Barrett Dam
- All areas accessible from Lawson Valley Rd. to the east, with the exception of Forest Park Rd.
- North side of Japatul Rd. between Sycuan Truck Trail and Hidden Glen Rd.
All other evacuation orders remain in effect. See the evacuation map for the evacuation order and evacuation warning locations.
Cleveland National Forest remains under an Emergency Forest Closure Order to protect natural resources and safety of the public and firefighters.
An evacuation warning is issued when there is a plausible threat of fire activity to increase and your home may be in the affected area. Returning residents should be aware that there may be traffic interruptions due to fire crews and utility workers.
“We lucked out with the winds, which arrived later than expected and went away earlier than expected, Captain Thomas Shoots, public information officer with Cal Fire, told ECM. Firefighters quickly doused a new fire in Boulevard’s Jewel Valley, which burned an acre or two. An additional fire is burning about a half mile south of the border in Mexico, which Cal Fire is monitoring, he said.
However, as damage assessors were able to access more areas, additional homes burned prior to last night were found. A total of 26 homes have been destroyed, primarily in the Carveacre and Lawson Valley areas.
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, a leg burn and a bee sting to the face.
The County of San Diego added information at its SDCountyRecovery.com site and has established a Recovery Hotline at (859) 715-2200 and an email to help those affected by the Valley Fire. The hotline and emails will be answered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and through the upcoming weekend.
Power has been restored to more than half of the nearly 4,000 customers impacted by the #ValleyFire. "Our crews have nearly finished fire damage assessments & 80-90 power poles need to be replaced. Thank you for your continued patience," SDG&E tweeted this evening. Visit ow.ly/ft2k50BmEGN for additional updates.
Residents in areas impacted by the Valley Fire can call 211 for non-emergency fire information such as evacuation orders, shelters and road closures.
For more info on returning home after a wildfire visit http://bit.ly/ReturnAfterWildfire.
For the latest emergency updates visit www.SDCountyEmergency.com and download the SD Emergency app on your cell phone.
The fire is under unified command of the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire, San Diego County Fire and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
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