19 structures including homes, mobile homes and recreational vehicles were destroyed in the fire  

Source: Supervisors Fletcher and Anderson

September 15, 2022 (San Diego) -- Chair Nathan Fletcher, Supervisor Joel Anderson and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors have voted to waive fees for people affected by the Border 32 Fire when they apply for a permit to rebuild a structure, or acquire replacement copies of important documents lost in the fire, such as birth certificates.

Chair Fletcher and Supervisor Anderson, the authors of the policy presented on Wednesday, issued the following statements after today’s vote:

Source:  San Diego Sheriff's Department

September 13, 2022 (Spring Valley) - The Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station wants your help in finding a missing person from Spring Valley.

72-year-old Eddie Joe Taylor was reported missing on Friday, August 5. He was last seen on Thursday, August 4 when he left his girlfriend's home in Lemon Grove. As he was driving home to Spring Valley, he called his girlfriend saying he mistakenly continued on SR-125 south towards Mexico and crossed the border into Baja California, Mexico. 

Retired paramedic loses RV home; family’s water well, solar panels and dreams up in smoke

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Henri Migala, Miriam Raftery, Ryan and Gemma Sommers

September 10, 2022 (Potrero) – Ryan and Gemma Sommers had a dream—to build an earth-berm home on 80 acres in Potrero that Ryan grew up on and inherited from his father. So when the Border 32 Fire swept through the community last week, Ryan didn’t hesitate – he headed into the wildfire and fought singlehandedly to save what he could. But the family had no insurance, and their losses are overwhelming.

“I have been trying to live out my father’s dream of living self-sustainability on a ranch,” says Ryan, who lost his father to pancreatic cancer in 2020. Now the fire has torched much of their property, including burning his uncle’s RV home to the ground.  “My uncle has lost everything,” Ryan reflects. Ryan and Gemma also suffered major losses, with Ryan risking his life to save what he could.

On a GoFundMe page set up to help the family repair and rebuild their lives, Gemma wrote, “We don’t want to say goodbye to our land that has been in our family these past 21+ years..”

Board will meet Monday to determine how to fill immediate vacancy

By Susan Taylor

Photo:  Trustee Sarah Rhiley

September 8, 2022 (La Mesa) –Trustee Sarah Rhiley announced her immediate resignation from the La Mesa-Spring Valley School Board, effective September 7. She submitted her resignation letter immediately before the board’s first meeting of the 2022-23 school year on September 6.

Asked how the vacancy  in trustee area 4 will be filled, Superintendent David Feliciano told ECM, “Following board bylaw 9322, the board may either make a provisional appointment or call for an election.” A special board meeting will be held Monday, Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. at which the board will decide how to fill the vacancy. 

Area 4 is not on the November ballot, which has areas 1, 2 and 3 up for election. Two of those, areas 1 and 3, are open seats, since incumbents Charda Bell and Megan Epperson are not seeking reelection. Each area has two candidates. In district 2, Megan McRae seeks reelection, facing off against a challenger.

Trustee Sarah Rhiley, in announcing her resignation, cited frustration with the many restrictions imposed on schools by the Department of Education of the State of California.  She said that she plans to take her children to visit all of the country’s National Parks and later settle on a city and school district for her family.

September 9, 2022 (San Diego) -- The National Weather Service has issued flash flood watches, warnings and advisories for most of San Diego’s East County and inland areas this evening.  

See map on this page and click for details:  https://www.weather.gov/sgx/

 Life-threatening flash flooding of creeks, streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses are occurring or imminent.  

 Flash flood warnings are in effect for Julian, Banner Grade, Highways 78 and 79, Santa Ysabel, Warner Springs, Cuyamaca, and Mount Laguna.  

 A flood watch is in effect for Santee, La Mesa, El Cajon, Poway, San Marcos, and Escondido.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo via Twitter: Rockslide on I-8

September 9, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) --  Dangerously high winds and heavy rains from Tropical Storm have promoted the National Weather Service to issue a high wind warning in effect through midnight tonight. Flash flood warnings are also in effect in mountain and desert areas.

Gusts of 109 miles per hour were recorded on Cuyamaca peak today and Mount Laguna has received 2.94 inches of rain as of 1:15 p.m. Flash flooding is reported in Ocotillo.

Videos posted online show a rockslide on I-8 in East County, trees down near the Julian Post Office and at Lake Cuyamaca, trees or large limbs fallen in Pine Valley, Alpine and Boulevard.

Height and density changes currently proposed would “not be in best interest of the city,” planning commissioners found

By Elijah McKee

September 8, 2022 (La Mesa) — Since 2018, Reza Paydar, the property owner of the palm-studded San Diego RV Resort in La Mesa, has been attempting to change the City’s zoning of the land so that apartment buildings can replace the RV park. The buildings would be among the largest La Mesa has ever seen. 

East County News Service

September 7, 2022 (Lakeside) – A Lakeside resident was startled to see the number 45 and a gun image with flag on a sign outside a Boy Scout meeting house on public property at Lindo Lake County Park. 

“It looks like a Trump flag on the back of a pickup truck that’s been tattered,” said the resident, a gun owner who voiced concern that the imagery made a political statement (Trump was the 45^th President) and could be construed as promoting violence.

East County News Service

September 6, 2022 (San Diego) - Consumers are advised to be prepared for possible rotating power outages this afternoon.  The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) issued a statewide Flex Alert for Tuesday, September 6, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. calling for increased energy conservation throughout the state.

By Miriam Raftery

September 4, 2022 (El Cajon) –  The El Cajon nonprofit License to Freedom has been counseling nine children in a Syrian refugee family traumatized first by war in their homeland, and now by the death of their mother, who was found shot in the family’s home. In an interview with East County Magazine originally aired on KNSJ radio,

Dilkhwaz Ahmed, founder of License to Freedom, provides an update on the children’s situation, also sharing information on the stresses facing refugee families. The  children’s father, Abdulhannan Abdurazaq Al Rawi, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge.

“It’s so hard,” Ahmed says, when asked how the children, ages 2-17, are doing. “In a situation like that, the community gets together.” She says other Syrian refugees in the community worked to help the children, as did people in the Sudanese community, since the babysitter is from Sudan. “One of their close friends, a family from Syria, decided to take the kids, and they have seven kids,” Ahmed said.  “The wife was best friends with the mom…it’s heartbreaking.”

East County News Service

September 3, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – The Tecate, Potrero and Dulzura Post Offices have all been reopened and have resumed operations at their facilities. 

By Miriam Raftery

September 2, 2022 (El Cajon) – Arnie Levine is a realtor running for the El Cajon mayoral seat.  He wants to  revitalize El Cajon as a "new city."   His priorities include reducing homelessness and lack of housing affordability, protecting public health, supporting the arts, and according to his website, "restoring hope" to all El Cajon residents.

ECM’s editor, Miriam Raftery, interviewed Levine for the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ.   Hear audio, view video, or read highlights from our interview below.  You can also learn more at his website: https://arnielevine4elcajoncamayor.com/.

By Miriam Raftery

September 1, 2022 (San Diego's East County) -- Firefighters have held the #Border32Fire to 4,438 acres today, only slightly more than last night, thanks to the courageous efforts of crews working in extreme fire conditions overnight. The fire is now 14% contained, thanks to milder fire activity today. Find links below to our coverage of the harrowing conditions faced by firefighters.

Tonight, starting at 6:30 p.m. residents in the following areas are being allowed to return home, the Sheriff has announced:

• West of Cochera Via Drive
• East of Potrero Valley Road

Residents returning to Potrero must enter from eastbound State Route 94.  Those returning to Dulzura must enter from westbound State Route 94.

The following road closures remain in effect until further notice:

Story and photos by Josh Stotler

ECM photojournalist Josh Stotler provides eyewitness account of harrowing conditions

August 31, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) – Covering the Border 32 Fire last night, I observed some of the most extreme fire behavior that I’ve seen in my career as a firefighter and now, photojournalist. Amid the rapidly changing conditions, I wound up assisting a firefighting crew with a ride away from advancing flames and taking dramatic video as walls of flames crossed Highway 94, where fire crews and I narrowly escaped the fast-moving flames.

The fire has charred huge swaths of San Diego’s East County, burning 4,246 acres as of this morning. The blaze is 5% contained and has destroyed at least four homes, as firefighters continue to battle adverse conditions.