By Mike Allen

Photo by Scott Lagace:  Santee firefighters saved the life of an unconscious woman during a July 2024 fire that engulfed her mobile home, also administering oxygen to save a cat.

 March 14, 2025 (Santee) -- Santee knows it has to be better when it comes to providing fire protection to its residents, and after a sales tax-funded plan for new fire stations failed in November, its City Council made improving that essential service as its top priority.

 In fairness, the Council was already focused on getting a couple of new stations to double the current number—two—to serve a population of more than 60,000.

 It was building a temporary station off Olive Way where it formerly used to keep its maintenance operations, and was planning a new station in the north part of the city. Yet the Council was hoping the half-cent hike to local sales taxes would finance the improvements. Not so fast, said voters who rejected the plan.

 At its March 12 meeting, the Council set building new fire stations—along with finding new ways to pay for them--as its No. 1 goal from a list of ten.

By Mike Allen

Photos courtesy of Santee Fire Department

May 23, 2024 (Santee)-- A fire that sent large plumes of smoke across East County yesterday was caused when workers at the Advanced Water Purification (AWP) project in Santee were joining together two large pieces of plastic pipe.

Santee Fire Chief Justin Matsushita said while workers were fusing two large pipes that are 42 inches in diameter, the plastic material, called HDPE, caught fire and quickly overwhelmed the workers, prompting their 911 call.

SDSO advising residents of Parc One to shelter in place

East County News Service

Photo credit: Google and in-house

July 19, 2021 (Santee) -- The initial response to the Parc Fire (also appearing in some places spelled Park Fire) in Santee appears to have been successful, and poses little danger to neighbors. Parc One residents are being asked to shelter in place.

SD County Fire Scanner broke news of the fire and its early containment on twitter at approximately 2:20 p.m. this afternoon July 19, and and the fire is (almost) out before it even started. They report that firefighting crews expect to be "mopping up" over the next 2-3 hours.

East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts

Photo, left, by Felicia Vlahos

Update 8 p.m.:  The fire scorched 36 acres. All evacuation orders have been lifted.  An investigation continues into the cause of this fire.

December 16, 2020 (Santee) -- The San Diego County Sheriff's Department has issued an emergency evacuation warning to residents in the 10,000 block of Chaparral Dr. in Santee due to the Chaparral Fire. An evacuation warning means that evacuations are currently voluntary, however, everyone should be prepared to evacuate if an evacuation order is issued. Residents who choose to evacuate can go to Santana High School, located at 9915 N Magnolia Ave, Santee, CA 92071.

The Sheriff advises, "If you feel unsafe, evacuate early."If you need emergency assistance with evacuation, call 9-1-1.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo by Rebecca Jefferis-Williamson

June 3, 2020 (Santee) -- A brush fire is burning near State Routes 125, 52, and Mission Gorge Road.  A SIG Alert has been issued. The ramp from eastbound 52 to 125 is closed, Cal Trans and the CHP site report.  ECM reporter Rebecca Jefferis-Williamson reports that the Mission Gorge offramp from 125 is also blocked.  Avoid this area.

*** Update: all ramps have reopened.

East County News Service

June 26, 2018 (Santee) -- Cal Fire reports that a drone forced grounding of a firefighting helicopter today in Santee while ground crews fought a fire that began late this afternoon on Prospect Ave. near Highway 52 and Cuyamaca.

The blaze briefly caused evacuations, 10 News reports.  The fire has now been contained, according to the Sheriff's Department.

By Miriam Raftery

November 18, 2017 (Rancho San Diego)--San Miguel Fire District along with Heartland Fire Rescue and Santee Fire Department will be conducting fire and rescue training this weekend at Vahalla High School, located at 1725 Hillsdale Road in the Rancho San Diego area of unincorporated El Cajon.

The fire rescue drill will be Saturday November 18 and Sunday November 19 from 9am to 3pm.  Smoke machines will be used during training - neighbors might see smoke coming from the school during these training events.

April 4, 2015 (San Diego's East County) -- A small brush fire is burning near Grossmont College. Firefighters are at the scene at the junction of 125 and 52, just below the community college campus.

Largest blaze in Santee chars 5 acres

By Nadin Abbott

Photo, left, by Jeff Holz

April 29, 2014 (San Diego’s East County)-- The day started with smoke in the far East County, near Jacumba on Old Highway 80. Cal Fire responded only to find a structure fire on the other side of the border fence. Per the incident commander, the structure was fully involved and crews remained on scene to make sure it did not pose a threat. Since the house had good clearance, there was no threat to vegetation, or the United States.

The second fire was in Ramona. It was a compost fire at Dye Street south of Ramona Street. It was extinguished in short order.

The third and most serious was near the Carlton Hills Golf Course in Santee.  A parking lot at Carlton Hills Southern Baptist Church became the Incident Command Post for the blaze, which briefly threatened apartments nearby.

By Nadin Abbott

Photo:  Firefighters battle spot fire in Lakeside; photo by Jeff Holz

May 26, 2013 (San Diego East County)—Fire season is off to an early start. Yesterday, even as firefighters fought to contain the 1800-acre San Felipe fire in the mountains of East County, four new fires drew resources from across the region.  Here is a wrap-up on those fires in Ramona, Lakeside, the Santee/San Diego boundary area, Dulzura, and the border region.

Update 7 p.m.   The fire is now out, after charring over 12 acres and briefly threatening homes.  View our video shot by Billy Ortiz by clicking the image above.

Update 6:45 p.m. - The fire destroyed one home and damaged a neighboring residence before fire officials were able to douse the blaze.  Authorities have not yet disclosed the fates of the homeowner and his wife, however the investigation has been turned over to the Homicide Unit.  Neighbors have told other media that the homeowner was despondent because he and his wife had lost their jobs, faced foreclosure, and because the wife had cancer.

December 2, 2010 (Santee)—Fire crews have extinguished a blaze that started with an explosion in a garage in the 9400 block of Domer Road in Santee around 11 p.m. last night. Fire spread to the home and deputies reportedly heard smaller explosion inside the residence.

September 25, 2010 (Santee) -- A brush fire in Santee charred approximately 40 acres late this afternoon, briefly threatening structures before firefights brought the blaze under control. Multiple agencies responded to the fire, which began at Carlton Hills and Lake Canyon.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Dennis Richardson
 

Update 7:30 p.m. -- Cause of the fire has been determined to be accidental, due to workers installing a fence. 

August 27, 2010 (El Cajon) updated 1:30 p.m. -- Heartland Fire dispatch confirms that a fire that forced evacuation of homes near Grossmont College is now fully contained.  No buildings were lost or damaged.

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