August 5, 2023 (Lakeside) – Lakeside Fire Protection District Director and former Fire Chief Mark Thomas Baker died July 10 after complications following a medical procedure for a heart issue.
“He was dedicated to his work to ensure the success of the Lakeside Fire District and the safety of the residents he served,” says a statement from the district on Facebook, which voiced “great sadness” at his passing.
The California Fire Chiefs Association issued a statement recalling Chief Baker as not only “a dedicated professional, but he was also a kind-hearted individual with a great sense of humor. He brought joy to those around him and always had a smile on his face. He will be greatly missed by all those in the fire service that not only knew him, but also looked to him as a leader and mentor."
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September 25, 2022 (Lakeside) -- Yesterday, the Lakeside Fire Protection District held its annual Open House at Station 2. The event had not been held for several years due to COVID-19. It is always a large family event with kids and their parents.
This year featured the REACH helicopter, the jaws of life demonstration, San Diego Chapter of American Red Cross, San Diego Sheriff K-9, San Diego County Hazmat, San Diego County Fire Department, dunk a firefighter booth, Logistics support group to Lakeside Fire, the rattlesnake removal specialist with many native snakes, and more displays.
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September 7, 2022 (Lakeside) –The Lakeside Fire Protection District invites you to an open house at Fire Station 2, located at 12216 Lakeside Avenue, on September 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
There will be demonstrations, station tours, games, food, drinks and plenty of fire apparatus to check out.
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July 9, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – A big-rig truck’s brakes overheated and caught fire on Interstate 8 west in Lakeside, Monday.
Flames quickly spread to the truck’s load of over 40,000 pounds of raw meat according to the San Diego Union Tribune and LA Times, or 41,000 pounds, according to the Sacramento Bee, News Break and NBC.
The pungent smell of roast pork spread across the area.
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CORRECTION: Previous versions mistakenly refered to Lakeside. It should have read El Cajon. Read update here.
East County News Service
June 12, 2020 (El Cajon) – The San Diego County Sheriff’s Bomb/Arson detectives are investigating the cause of a fire yesterday in El Cajon, says Sergeant David Chamoo.
Deputies from the Lakeside substation responded at 2:44 p.m. to the 1600 block of Via Elisa Drive for a structure fire that threatened adjacent structures due to strong winds. The officers made evacuation notifications to nearby residences until the fire was extinguished.
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June 22, 2013 (Lakeside) The airwaves have come alive at the Lakeside Fire Protection District fire station annex this weekend, where the Lakeside Amateur Radio Club is taking part in a two-day Field Day event held worldwide.
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL ) is a 150,000 + member organization partaking in an annual US, Canada, and Hawaii event. More than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or simply with friends to operate from remote locations . ARRL says of the occasion, “ Field Day is a picnic, a campout, practice for emergencies, an informal contest and, most of all, FUN!”
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November 7, 2012 (san Diego)- In the hotly contested Lakeside Fire District, former Lakeside fire chief Mark Baker captured 39.6% of the vote while fire captain/paramedic/ and board director Jim Bingham clinched 36.6%, beating out challengers.
There has been controversy over these two figures, since Bingham voted to fire Baker as Chief, a move that sparked a backlash among community members and questions of influence by firefighting union members on the board. (http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/11356). Nonetheless, these two will have to set aside their differences and work together in this district, where some of East County’s largest wildfires have occurred.
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Former Chief Runs Against One of the Board Members Who Fired Him
By Mark Gabrish Conlan
October 8, 2012 (Lakeside) – The Lakeside Fire Protection District contains 55 square miles of land, 65,000 people, and according to its website, http://www.lakesidefire.net, “is primarily suburban residential but also has several core commercial zones, some light industry, and many rural/agricultural properties.” It has a significant wildland/urban interface — firefighter-speak for places where homebuilders have butted developments up against forests and other wild areas. In the last decade, that has proven a recipe for brewing out-of-control fires that have threatened properties and claimed lives—particularly here in Lakeside, which has been devastated by several of the worst wildfires in county history.
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
February 25, 2010 (Lakeside) – Lakeside residents who say they feel “burned” by several elected fire board directors who terminated Fire Chief Mark Baker have launched a recall election to oust two of those members.
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Citizens oversight group forms, will consider recall of board members
January 27, 2010 (Lakeside) – Residents of Lakeside directed heated criticism at the Lakeside Fire Protection District board. In a meeting last night, citizens charged that the Board failed to provide adequate explanation for the firing of Chief Mark Baker.
“You guys are in serious trouble, and you’re accountable for your actions,” Dennis Richardson, a lifetime Lakeside resident, told the board. “You guys need to be taken to the woodshed, because you did not listen to Lakeside.”
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Move ignites anger among many community members; residents convene meeting Friday to discuss recall of Board members
January 20, 2010 (Lakeside) – By a 3-2 vote, Lakeside’s Fire Protection District on Saturday voted to oust Fire Chief Mark Baker, despite testimony from 18 members of the public who all spoke in favor of renewing Baker’s contract.
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East County News Service
East County News Service
By Janis Mork
Former Chief Runs Against One of the Board Members Who Fired Him
February 25, 2010 (Lakeside) – Lakeside residents who say they feel “burned” by several elected fire board directors who terminated Fire Chief Mark Baker have launched a recall election to oust two of those members.
January 27, 2010 (Lakeside) – Residents of Lakeside directed heated criticism at the Lakeside Fire Protection District board. In a meeting last night, citizens charged that the Board failed to provide adequate explanation for the firing of Chief Mark Baker.
Move ignites anger among many community members; residents convene meeting Friday to discuss recall of Board members
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