By Nadin Abbott

March 20, 2013 (San Diego)—Federal employees and their families at a rally outside the 32^nd Street Naval Station today  came to bring attention to the effects of the federal sequester in their lives. This is a reality for them right now, not just a headline in a paper.

January 22, 2013 (El Cajon)--CAL FIRE/San Diego will be burning approximately 100 acres in the Corte Madera Ranch area near the community of Pine Valley. The burn will take place tomorrow 1/23/2013 from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. as part of a Vegetation Management Program. Smoke will be visible in many parts of East County.

December 13, 2012 (San Diego's East County--The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) , after working with the San Diego County Fire Authority along with several other agencies, today announced that residents within County Service Area (CSA) 135 are eligible for the $35.00 reduction on the State’s Fire Prevention Fee.

“CSA 135 includes all unincorporated areas of East County including the backcountry,” Captain Mike Mohler, public information officer at Cal Fire, told East County Magazine.  The new Fee, which is being assessed on all habitable structures within the State Responsibility Area, is set at $150, but has a $35 reduction when the home is within a local fire protection agency.

November 6, 2012 (San Diego’s East County)--CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire Authority in cooperation with State Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service resources will conduct a prescribed burn in the area of the Rancho Jamul Ecological Reserve in East county near the community of Jamul. This burn is scheduled to take place during daylight hours on November 6.

By Janis Mork

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.”

By Janis Mork

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.

By Janis Mork

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.

By Miriam Raftery

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.

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.

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.

By Chief Ken Mimlott, Director of CAL FIRE

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:

By Miriam Raftery

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.