Update 3:30 p.m. - These fires are now contained. The Quail fire in Flinn Springs was caused by a mulch pile that ignited. Causes of the other fires remain under investigation.
Update 2:10 p.m. -- A third fire is reported in Flinn Springs at Quail Canyon and Ranch Trail; no structures are threatened. A fourth fire is burning in Lakeside on Rancho Trail and air support has been requested. The Japatul fire is now contained.
June 5, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal-Fire is on the scene of two brush fires. Both fires started shortly before 1 p.m. and each is currently about two to three acres in size. Details below.
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“Those power lines are going to be a detriment to the air attack program and the ground program…More country is going to burn. It’s obvious.” – Bob Robeson, retired Division Chief, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal-Fire)
By Miriam Raftery
June 1, 2010 (Lakeside) – Swift attacks by aerial drops and ground crews narrowly succeeded in saving threatened homes Saturday along Highway 67 in the Slaughterhouse Canyon area of Lakeside, where several small fires started by a vehicle's catalytic converted merged into a 30-acre brush fire. But ECM columnist Dennis Richardson, an eyewitness to the firefighting efforts, raises a troubling concern.
Fires were burning directly along the route of the Sunrise Powerlink high voltage lines planned by SDG&E, he noted. (See map; fire was located between CP37-2 and CP31-2): http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/environment/info/aspen/sunrise/pmr/sdge_final_pmr_fig38.pdf .
“The Cal-Fire aerial firefighters would not have been able to work this fire until it burned out from under the transmission wires,” Richardson stated. Saturday’s fire occurred in spring, when grasses were still green and winds were only 5 mph. Had it occurred in dry conditions during summer or fall, with even moderate winds, Richardson warned, “No telling how many homes and lives could have been lost.”
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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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May 30, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – A hawk flew into power lines today in Mira Mesa, igniting a fire that briefly threatened homes. The fire is now extinguished. This evening, Cal-Fire is at the scene of a small fire started by a riding lawn mower on Haverford Road in Ramona. The fire is surrounded and is expected to be out soon.
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May 21, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- Due to the extreme danger of fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal-Fire) San Diego division chief David Nissen has issued a no-burn proclamation. The order suspends burning permits, campfires and other uses of open fire in all areas within San Diego and Imperial Counties for which Cal-Fire is responsible (with the exception of incorporated cities). The order takes effect today.
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May 12, 2010 (Jamul) – A small brush fire on the 13th hole of Cottonwood Golf Course on Willows Road near Jamul was swiftly extinguished by Cal-Fire and the San Miguel Fire Department.
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March 22, 2010 (Escondido) – At 9:05 a.m., CAL FIRE-Deer Springs Fire Department responded to a report of an accident on I-15 at North Centre City Parkway, just north of Escondido. When firefighters arrived they encountered a passenger vehicle on it roof and two of the three occupants in the vehicle required extrication. The vehicle was traveling north bound on I-15 when it rear-ended another vehicle.
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February 5, 2010 (Palomar) -- From February 8 through February 15, Cal Fire will be conducting a prescribed burn to reduce dead and dying vegetation on Palomar Mountain near the Palomar Observatory. Firefighters expect the 200 piles to be burned within seven days.
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December 22, 2009 (Ramona) -- Sheriff William D. Gore announced this year’s Christmas Bicycle Program, which provided pre-selected deserving children with a free bicycle, helmet and bike lock. The event was hosted by the Ramona Sheriff’s Substation and firefighters from the Ramona CalFire Fire Department.
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October 14, 2009 – It's safe to light a campfire again, state fire officials have determined. Today, CAL FIRE lifted its no-burn proclamation due to an improvement in fire conditions, including increased relative humidity and higher fuel moisture, as well as increased availability of fire protection resources.
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October 8, 2009 (San Diego's East County) -- October is fire safety month. CAL FIRE reminds everyone who lives in the backcountry that State law requires that every building must have an address number posted. This number needs to be a minimum of four inches in height, contrasting in color to the background, and clearly visible from the street.
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State Fire Experts Urge Adoption of Emergency Response Initiative (ERI)
By Miriam Raftery
September 23, 2009 (San Diego) - With major wildfires burning in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties and red flag warnings locally due to high fire danger, State Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) chaired a joint legislative committee hearing on emergency management in San Diego today. Fire chiefs and legislators presented grim warnings that California’s fire and emergency preparedness has been stretched too thin by budget cuts, placing area residents in jeopardy. Here are a few samples of the dire concerns raised:
”It’s October. The winds are kicking up, and we are really challenged…There are blackouts, brownouts, and reduced strike teams.“ – San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarmon
“Our members, they’ve all said that constraints of the budgets at state and county levels are wearing our firefighters out.” – Lou Paulson, President, California Professional Firefighers
“The system is stressed…There is zero margin for error…50 engines have dropped off the grid since the Cedar Fire…San Francisco ran out of engines. There are brownouts and blackouts at fire districts around the state…We handled the Station Fire in Los Angeles because it was the only fire…Heaven forbid if we had had three or four fires in Southern California and they were wind-driven.” – Chief Sheldon Gilbert, Co-Chair, Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force and Fire Chief, Alameda County
“Our fire prevention budget is shamefully low..Firefighting costs have increased 100% in the last five years…I want to see more put in at the front end.” – Senator Christine Kehoe
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September 11, 2009 (Ramona)--Tne Ramona Airport hosts its annual open house on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event features tours of the airport, Cal-Fire Air Attack Base, and control tower. Also on display are the Sheriff’s Copter 10 and Mercy Air helicopters, along with other aircraft including World War II-era Classic Warbirds.
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OFFICIALCITE FIRE DANGER, DEPLOYMENT OF LOCAL FIREFIGHTING RESOURCES TO BATTLE BLAZES ELSEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA
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July 17, 2009 (Pine Valley) – A car plunged off eastbound I-8 one mile west of the Pine Valley bridge, rolling 200 feet over the side late this afternoon. The accident trapped inside the four-door, champagne-colored vehicle.
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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.
June 5, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal-Fire is on the scene of two brush fires. Both fires started shortly before 1 p.m. and each is currently about two to three acres in size. Details below. 
By Miriam Raftery
May 30, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – A hawk flew into power lines today in Mira Mesa, igniting a fire that briefly threatened homes. The fire is now extinguished. This evening, Cal-Fire is at the scene of a small fire started by a riding lawn mower on Haverford Road in Ramona. The fire is surrounded and is expected to be out soon.
May 21, 2010 (San Diego's East County) -- Due to the extreme danger of fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal-Fire) San Diego division chief David Nissen has issued a no-burn proclamation. The order suspends burning permits, campfires and other uses of open fire in all areas within San Diego and Imperial Counties for which Cal-Fire is responsible (with the exception of incorporated cities). The order takes effect today.
May 12, 2010 (Jamul) – A small brush fire on the 13th hole of Cottonwood Golf Course on Willows Road near Jamul was swiftly extinguished by Cal-Fire and the San Miguel Fire Department. 
March 22, 2010 (Escondido) – At 9:05 a.m., CAL FIRE-Deer Springs Fire Department responded to a report of an accident on I-15 at North Centre City Parkway, just north of Escondido. When firefighters arrived they encountered a passenger vehicle on it roof and two of the three occupants in the vehicle required extrication. The vehicle was traveling north bound on I-15 when it rear-ended another vehicle.
February 5, 2010 (Palomar) -- From February 8 through February 15, Cal Fire will be conducting a prescribed burn to reduce dead and dying vegetation on Palomar Mountain near the Palomar Observatory. Firefighters expect the 200 piles to be burned within seven days. 
December 22, 2009 (Ramona) -- Sheriff William D. Gore announced this year’s Christmas Bicycle Program, which provided pre-selected deserving children with a free bicycle, helmet and bike lock. The event was hosted by the Ramona Sheriff’s Substation and firefighters from the Ramona CalFire Fire Department.
October 14, 2009 – It's safe to light a campfire again, state fire officials have determined. Today, CAL FIRE lifted its no-burn proclamation due to an improvement in fire conditions, including increased relative humidity and higher fuel moisture, as well as increased availability of fire protection resources.
October 8, 2009 (San Diego's East County) -- October is fire safety month. CAL FIRE reminds everyone who lives in the backcountry that State law requires that every building must have an address number posted. This number needs to be a minimum of four inches in height, contrasting in color to the background, and clearly visible from the street.
By Miriam Raftery
September 11, 2009 (Ramona)--Tne Ramona Airport hosts its annual open house on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event features tours of the airport, Cal-Fire Air Attack Base, and control tower. Also on display are the Sheriff’s Copter 10 and Mercy Air helicopters, along with other aircraft including World War II-era Classic Warbirds.
July 17, 2009 (Pine Valley) – A car plunged off eastbound I-8 one mile west of the Pine Valley bridge, rolling 200 feet over the side late this afternoon. The accident trapped inside the four-door, champagne-colored vehicle.
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