November 3, 2012 (Sacramento) – State officials have started mailing notices to tens of thousands of San Diego County property owners warning that they will soon be billed $150 annually to help shore up Cal Fire’s budget. Budget cuts have dropped the number of firefighters per engine, among other cutbacks in wildfire protection.
Residents of Alpine, Dehesa and other communities in Jacob’s Second District report receiving the notices in recent days. They consider the new fire tax an unfair burden, noting they already pay state property taxes to help fund public safety and often community fees for additional fire protection.
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October 16, 2012 (Spring Valley)- Civil engineer John Revels is running for the San Miguel Fire Board. In an exclusive interview with East County Magazine, he shared his views on his candidacy and the future of the fire district.
Revels was motivated to run because, “I got a flyer of what was going on at San Miguel fire board. I have nothing against Cal Fire; they are a great organization. I wanted to keep San Miguel independent as it’s always been [before the merger with Cal Fire]. So a year ago, I started attending meetings and talking to people, and I also went to meetings to speak to the board at Cuyamaca College.”
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October 11, 2012 (Spring Valley)- Retiree Randy Dibb wants to run for the San Miguel fire board because he has “concern for the district” and wants to bring “changes.” His values include satisfying the needs of the constituents coupled with the dramatic changes in the way the district does business, and putting together a viable budget within the current concerns of the district.
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October 10, 2012 (Spring Valley)- Fire captain/paramedic Dave Rickards hopes to get re-elected to the San Miguel Fire Board because “I care about the community I want the best fire protection in the community I live in.” The three-term incumbent is a district resident since 1990, spent 29 years in the fire service in El Cajon, and currently sits on the Heartland Communications Commission. He is also the Districts’ representative Finance Committee.” He adds, “We’re all training each other and we all have agreements that help each other out.”
He is also a U.S. Navy vet, a USS Midway volunteer, and a private pilot. He is currently a Company Engines Officer in the Fletcher Hills Community of El Cajon.
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October 4, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) -- The cash-strapped San Miguel Fire District recently voted to outsource firefighting services to Cal-Fire. This election season, six candidates are running for four seats on the District’s board, which has taken heat from labor and the public over tough decisions made. ECM has contacted all candidates for information on their candidacies. Below, we profile business/college educator Dan McMillan. Other candidates are retiree Randy Dibb, retired civil engineer William A. Kiel, civil engineer John Revels, fire captain/paramedic David Rickards, and incumbent board member Karrie Johnston Scully. View a map of the district: http://www.smgfire.org/district-map.
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October 4, 2012 (Spring Valley) - San Miguel fire board recently voted to outsource all fire services to Cal Fire. There are six candidates running for four seats on the board. Other candidates include retiree Randy Dibb, incumbent board members Karrie Johnston Scully, fire captain/paramedic David Rickards, civil engineer John Revels, and college educator/businessman Dan McMillan. View a map of the district: http://www.smgfire.org/district-map. Below is a profile on retired civil engineer William Kiel.
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October 4, 2012 (Campo) – As CAL FIRE neared containment on the 2,851 acre Shockey Fire burning near the community of Campo in San Diego County, firefighters credited new technology in the success of the incident. For the past year, firefighters have been aided by the development of a new project called Next Generation Incident Command System, or “NICS”. The new technology is funded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Lincoln Labs with major participation from CAL FIRE. Especially this year with the increased fire activity, CAL FIRE has been the perfect test bed for the new technology.
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September 30, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – A 27-year-old Coronado man collapsed and died yesterday on the return hike from Three Sisters Falls. According to the San Diego Medical Examiner’s office, the man was hiking with three friends on the trail in the Descanso/Julian area when he collapsed.
“It was a hot day and the falls apparently were dried up,” the Medical Examiner’s website reports. Temperatures were in the 80s, with an excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service in effect.
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The following details were provided in a press release from the district, which has been plagued by budget shortfalls, contentious public meetings, and labor-management disputes in recent years.
September 27, 2012 (Spring Valley) -- The San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District’s Board of Directors voted onSeptember 25 to approve a Cooperative Service Agreement with CAL FIRE. The Board voted unanimously to approve the five and a half-year agreement. Board President Chris Winter said, “This Cooperative Agreement allows the District to proceed with a balanced budget, maintain the current level of service for our residents and provide for the long-term viability of the District.
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September 25, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—The Shockey Fire has scored 2,850 acres and is now 55% contained, Cal Fire reports. There has been one injury to a firefighter as well as the death of an elderly resident reported yesterday. Twenty homes have burned, all in the Tierra del Sol area of Boulevard, as well as 15 outbuidlings. Another 10 structures were damaged by the fast-burning wildfire. About 25 residences remained threatened this morning.
Damage assessment is now being conducted by authorities. The objective today is to continue to build containment lines on the northern and southern flanks. At 6 p.m. today, the evacuation order for Tierra del Sol will be lifted and residents only will be allowed to return, with ID.
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Update 1:40 p.m.: The Shockey Fire is now over 100 acres and spreading rapidly to the east, being driven by a southwest wind, Cal Fire’s Roxanne Provaznik reports. The Incident Commander has requested 5 additional engines, 4 additional airtankers, 2 additional water tenders, and 1 additional bulldozer. There are structures out ahead of the fire but they are not immediately threatened, per Cal Fire.
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September 13, 2012 (Sacramento) – Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) announced today that her legislation to protect development from wildfire has been signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.
“SB 1241 will save lives and property. It will also ease the financial burden for fire suppression on both state and local governments through early, consistent, and meaningful fire hazard planning statewide,” stated Senator Kehoe. “We have fires in California every year. As more people move into State Responsibility Areas and high fire hazard severity zones, it’s become critical that local governments plan for fire hazards in these high risk areas as early in their land use planning process as possible,” Kehoe said.
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State levies additional cost without providing additional services.
August 24, 2012 (Alpine)– The Alpine Fire Protection District (AFPD) Board of Directors at its August 21st board meeting adopted a resolution opposing the newly implemented State Responsibility Area (SRA) fees, which will impose additional financial burden on its constituents without providing additional fire services.
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August 16, 2012 (Sacramento)0Due to the menace of wildfires and their potential to destroy life, property, and natural resources, as well as predicted fire weather and other factors, and utilizing the authority vested in me by Section 4423.1 of the Public Resources Code, I hereby proclaim:
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August 10, 2012 (Chihuahua Valley) 3:30 a.m. – Hundreds of firefighters from across California have been called in to defend 60 homes in Chihuahua Valley, a box canyon northeast of Warner Springs.View a map.
The area contains stands of old-growth oak trees estimated at 400 years old, according to residents.
Residents, shut out of the area, fear for livestock trapped inside without access to water--and some people may be trapped, a property owner at the scene told ECM.
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July 22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Revelations that six wildfires in the past six weeks have been caused by recreational shooting in East County has caused a firestorm of controversy.
Cal-Fire, joined by residents of Dulzura, Potrero and other areas bordering the Otay Wilderness area have asked the federal Bureau of Land Management to ban shooting on its properties within San Diego County for the duration of this year’s expected severe fire season.
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Update 5:20 p.m.: The fire's forward spread has been stopped at 20 acres, Cal Fire's Roxanne Provaznik reports. No structures were burned. Proctor Valley Road remains closed between Chula Vista and Jamul. Echo Way is also closed but should be opened soon.
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Update 8:45 p.m. -- This border fire is burning in the Tecate creek in Mexico. Cal Fire crews on the U.S. side estimate it at 500 acres.
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July 9, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—Effective immediately, Cal Fire has issued a no-burn proclamation for all state responsibility lands in San Diego and Imperial Counties.All open burning is banned and campfires are restricted to designated campfire facilities in established public campgrounds.
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July 8, 2012 (Rancho San Diego)-- Rancho San Diego- San Miguel firefighters along with Cal Fire held a wildland fire in Rancho San Diego today to half an acre.
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July 3, 2012 (Pine Valley) – A hiker bitten by a rattlesnake on the Corte Madera Ranch South of Interstate 8 in Pine Valley has been rescued.
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Update 10:32 a.m. - The fire is holding at 3 acres and aircraft have been dismissed, according to Cal Fire.
June 24, 2012 (Dulzura) – Cal Fire reports at 9:51 a.m. that a 2 to 3 acre brush fire is burningin Dulzura. The fire started near Marron Valley Road in terrain difficult for ground crews to access. Additional air power has been ordered to the scene.
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Updated June 21, 2012: The Old Fire is now 100% contained at a cost of approximately $2.3 million
June 20, 2012 (Campo) – The Old Fire has charred 995 acres and is now 90% contained.One residence burned, as well as a recreational vehicle (RV). Cause remains under investigation, however electrical and lighting have been ruled out. There are no electrical lines near the origin of the blaze on the Campo Indian Reservation, nor were there any reports of lightning, Cal Fire reports.
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June 19, 2012 (San Diego's East County)--The Old Fire is now 75% contained at 907 acres, with full containment expected tonight, and full control expected tomorrow at 6 p.m., Cal Fire predicts.
Cost to battle the blaze is $1.5 million. The fire began Sunday in the Campo/Live Oak Springs area and has destroyed at least on structure.
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June 4, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – CAL FIRE has sent a warning advising homeowners to use caution when clearing dead brush and grass. While creating defensible space is a critical step to prepare for wildfire season, as fire danger rises, unsafe use of power equipment can actually start a fire.
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May 27, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – The Banner Fire has burned 5,321 acres and is now 90 percent contained, Cal Fire reports. Full containment of the fire is expected Monday, when acreage estimates are also projected to increase due to more accurate mapping, Roxanne Provaznik at Cal-Fire said.
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Residents Urged to Clear Defensible Space Ahead of Peak Fire Season
May 27, 2012 (Jamul) – On May 22, Cal Fire and County officials, including County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, gave a tour with the homeowners of a correctly cleared space around a Jamul home.With vegetation drying out and summer drawing near now is the best time to make sure homes are protected by 100 feet of defensible space.Cal Fire Chief, Thom Porter led the tour and provided a map of high-risk areas that have not burned recently.
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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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May 25, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – The Banner Fire has now scorched 3,100 acres and cost $575,000 in fire suppression costs.
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Update 5:10 p.m. - The forward spread of this fire has been stopped.
May 25, 2012 (Dulzura) – A brush fire titled the "Pink Fire" is burning in the 17000 block of Highway 94 near Sycamore Canyon in the Dulzura area.
“It’s burning under power lines,” Battalion Chief Nick Schuler informed ECM.Currently the fire is approximately three acres in size, burning in a canyon to the east.
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Local news in the public interest is more important now than ever, during the COVID-19 crisis. Our reporters, as essential workers, are dedicated to keeping you informed, even though we’ve had to cancel fundraising events. Please give the gift of community journalism by donating at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate.
November 3, 2012 (Sacramento) – State officials have started mailing notices to tens of thousands of San Diego County property owners warning that they will soon be billed $150 annually to help shore up Cal Fire’s budget. Budget cuts have dropped the number of firefighters per engine, among other cutbacks in wildfire protection.
By Janis Mork
By Janis Mork
By Janis Mork
By Janis Mork
By Janis Mork
October 4, 2012 (Campo) – As CAL FIRE neared containment on the 2,851 acre Shockey Fire burning near the community of Campo in San Diego County, firefighters credited new technology in the success of the incident. For the past year, firefighters have been aided by the development of a new project called Next Generation Incident Command System, or “NICS”. The new technology is funded by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Lincoln Labs with major participation from CAL FIRE. Especially this year with the increased fire activity, CAL FIRE has been the perfect test bed for the new technology.
By Miriam Raftery
The following details were provided in a press release from the district, which has been plagued by budget shortfalls, contentious public meetings, and labor-management disputes in recent years.
September 25, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)—The Shockey Fire has scored 2,850 acres and is now 55% contained, Cal Fire reports. There has been one injury to a firefighter as well as the death of an elderly resident reported yesterday. Twenty homes have burned, all in the Tierra del Sol area of Boulevard, as well as 15 outbuidlings. Another 10 structures were damaged by the fast-burning wildfire. About 25 residences remained threatened this morning. 
FOR UPDATES ON THIS FAST-GROWING FIRE, SEE OUR NEW STORY POSTED HERE:
September 13, 2012 (Sacramento) – Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) announced today that her legislation to protect development from wildfire has been signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.
State levies additional cost without providing additional services.
By Chief Ken Mimlott, Director of CAL FIRE
22, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – Revelations that six wildfires in the past six weeks have been caused by recreational shooting in East County has caused a firestorm of controversy.
June 4, 2012 (San Diego’s East County) – CAL FIRE has sent a warning advising homeowners to use caution when clearing dead brush and grass. While creating defensible space is a critical step to prepare for wildfire season, as fire danger rises, unsafe use of power equipment can actually start a fire. 
Residents Urged to Clear Defensible Space Ahead of Peak Fire Season
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