Shelter Valley

SDG&E PILOTS POWER PLANT PROJECT IN SHELTER VALLEY TO HELP EASE STRAIN ON GRID DURING EXTREME HEAT

Source:  SDG&E

Photo:  Shelter Valley Community Center Board President Steve Bassett inspects installation at Shelter Valley Community Center site.

Connected devices such as energy storage and smart thermostats centrally managed to reduce demand on the grid

August 28, 2023 (San Diego) – As extreme heat records fall across the West and strain the power grid, San Diego Gas & Electric is piloting a new cleantech innovation known as a virtual power plant (VPP) to reduce energy demand and put electricity back on the grid during peak hours – all through leveraging the capabilities of customer-owned smart thermostats, rooftop solar, energy storage and other connected resources such as water pumps.


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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: CLOUDS OR PINK UFOS?

East County News Service

June 18, 2022 (Shelter Valley) – Tina Goff snapped the photos left and below of saucer-shaped clouds at sunset from her home in Julian overlooking Shelter Valley around 8:06 p.m. on June 17.  Goffl quipped,  “They may be coming for us, LOL!”

Carol Birch also took pictures of the same beautiful and bizarre cloud formation. (right)


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BRUSH FIRE NEAR VOLCAN MOUNTAIN-RANCHITA AREA; PLANE REPORTED DOWN

 

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

 

Update May 11, 2018 12:45 p.m.: Crews have found wreckage of an airplane but have not been able to identify the plane, nor whoever was aboard.  Anyone with information is asked to notify the Sheriff.

Update May 11, 2018 10 a.m.:  Morning firefighting crews are nearing the site; the fire is now 10 acres, Cal Fire reports.

Update: 9:55 p.m. from Cal Fire: Incident commander reports the fire is 3 to 4 acres, burning at a slow rate of spread on the north side of Volcan Mountain. There are no homes in the area of the .

May 10, 2018 (Ranchita/Julian) -- Cal Fire confirms that a brush fire is burning near Volcan Mountain in steep, inaccessible terrain tonight.  The Sheriff's Department has confirmed to ECM news partner 10 News that deputies can see flames near Ranchita, near Volcan Mountain, between Warner Springs adn Borrego.  A plane has been reported down, according to HAM radio reports and calls to authorities though the crash is not yet confirmed.

Brett Staulbaum, a ham radio operator in Shelter Valley, relayed this message to ECM warning of a possible risk to the nearby Shelter Valley area:


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SDG&E ANNOUNCES PLANNED OVERNIGHT OUTAGE MONDAY IN SHELTER VALLEY AND PORTIONS OF JULIAN

 

 

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

June 23, 2017 (Julian-Shelter Valley) –  A planned power outage is scheduled  starting at 9 p.m. on Monday night,  June 26 through  6 a.m. on Tuesday morning, June 27 in the Shelter Valley area and the outskirts of Julian; a majority of the customers are in the eastern Julian area surrounding Banner Grade, SDG&E has announced.  Julian’s downtown historic district will not be affected.

The outage is needed to replace older power lines and equipment to make the system more weather- and fire-resilient. 

Below is the notice from SDG&E with full details for customers in the affected areas:


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OLD WEST ART FEST: JOIN US FOR A PLEIN AIR ART CONTEST AND ARTS/CRAFTS SALE IN THE ANZA BORREGO DESERT, APRIL 2-3, 2016

 

March 5, 2016 (Anza Borrego Desert) - Calling all artists to take part in a plein air art contest in the high desert community of Shelter Valley outside of Julian, CA. This is an opportunity for artists and their friends and families to get outside and enjoy the Anza Borrego desert in the springtime. Two plein air contest categories will be featured, including desert landscapes and local Native American and stagecoach trails history. All visual art formats allowed.


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WHY ARE SO MANY FIRE STATIONS CLOSED—AND WHAT’S BEING DONE BY COUNTY TO BOOST STAFFING?

 

 

A quarter of all rural stations were closed –at the same time—during April

An East County Magazine special investigative report

By Miriam Raftery

July 31, 2014 (San Diego’s East County) – The County Fire Authority has touted its successes in preventing the May wildfires in North County from destroying thousands of homes despite a county-wide disaster declaration.  Granted, a lot has improved since the devastating 2003 and 2007 firestorms in our region--the worst in California's history. But if fires were to start in East County today, the outcome could be tragic. An East County Magazine investigation raises serious doubts over  inadequate volunteer firefighter staffing and the ability to respond even to routine house fires and medical calls in some rural communities.

Last October,  our investigative report,"Closed for Fire Season" revealed that Boulevard’s fire station was closed for two months during fire season and Jacumba’s station also had some dark days- -including one when a resident died of a medical emergency after a delay in emergency services arriving. The County responded by funding emergency staffing and according to Supervisor Jacob’s staff, these two stations remained open every day  for at least several months thereafter, an ECM records check in late April revealed.   

But on July 9, Craig Williams, an information technology provider for the Campo Fire Department, advised ECM that “without any notification to the community leaders."  two days ago Cal Fire “moved the overtime, off-budget, paid Cal Fire firefighters out of Boulevard to Jacumba Hot Springs. Now  Boulevard is stuck with Fire Authority `volunteers’ only, just like Campo.’”

Worse,  a new investigation by ECM reveals that this is the tip of an iceberg--with many stations understaffed and some closed for months. 


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CONTROL BURN NOW OUT OF CONTROL NEAR SHELTER VALLEY AREA; BLAZE CHARS 1,500 ACRES

 

 

Photo by Jamelle McCullough

May 23, 2013 (San Diego's East County)--A controlled burn has grown out of control due to a change in wind directions. The fire started along State Route 78 at the Great Southern Overland Stage route. Authorities initally predicted the blaze had potential for 500 acres, but it has now topped 1,500 acres with 30% containment.

There is no current threat to structures of infrastructure,  per Cal Fire.

The California Highway Patrol website indicates that a closure has been ordered on S-2 at S22 and at State Route 78.  Smoke is blowing across San Felipe.  According to the Julian News editor, the route from Shelter Valley to Warner Springs is blocked. Road closures are expected to remain in effect through tomorrow.

 


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BANNER FIRE NOW 65 PERCENT CONTAINED; FIRE SUPPRESSION COSTS REACH $2 MILLION

 Updated May 27, 2012, 10 a.m. -- The Banner Fire was held at 4,100 acres through the night and remains 65% contained. Fire suppression cost has reached $2 million. Excess resources are now being dismissed, according to Roxanne Provaznik with Cal-Fire.


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FLARE-UP SPARKS EVACUATION OF RV RESORT IN SHELTER VALLEY

 

May 25, 2012 (Shelter Valley)--The Banner Fire flared up at the eastern end this afternoon, prompting mandatory evacuation of the Stage Coach Trails RV Resort at the south end of the Shelter Valley community.


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READER’S EDITORIAL: DEADLY ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION- WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW

At Nov. 4 hearing, county planners should reject cell phone tower in heart of our small town

By Lisa Rene Anderson

October 27, 2011 (Julian)--On November 4th, 2011, the San Diego County Planning Commission will render their decision on whether to approve a proposed cell tower to be placed in the center of residential-zoned Shelter Valley, Julian- the tiny, dark sky-designated rural town at the edge of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park that I and my husband live in.
 


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TWO DEAD IN HOUSE FIRE NEAR JULIAN

 

 

Update 3 p.m. Cal-Fire reports that both fatalities were visitors to the home. Four other people escaped the fire, including one female who was transported to an emegency facility for treatment of smoke inhalation.

May 31, 2010 (Shelter Valley) – A modular home fire iat 7523 Gunslinger Trail in Shelter Valley near Julian overnight has resulted in two fatalities, the County Coroner's office reports. “When firefighters arrived, the modular home was fully involved,” said Cal-Fire Battalion Chief Nick Schuler.


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