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STORM SERIES MOVING INTO AREA: FLOOD WATCH ISSUED
East County News Service
Last week’s storms brought 6-10 inches of snow to our mountains with up to 1.5 inches in urban portions of our county. Now, multiple new storms are moving into the area, with rain now falling across the region and multiple atmospheric rivers soon to drench our region, with the heaviest rains Thursday, the National Weather Service predicts. A flood watch has been issued now through Thursday afternoon for San Diego’s inland and coastal areas, including cities such as La Mesa, Santee, Poway, and Escondido as well as San Diego. Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
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ARREST MADE FOR SUSPECTED ARSON IN PALA AND LILAC FIRES
Source: Cal Fire
March 2, 2025 (San Diego) – Cal Fire law enforcement investigators have arrested Ruben Vasquez on multiple felony arson charges following an extensive investigation into two wildland fires that ignited on January 21. The fires, known as the Pala Fire and the Lilac Fire, started 25 minutes apart near Interstate 15 and State Route 76 in the Pala Mesa and Bonsall areas.
SANTEE FUNDS TEMPORARY FIRE STATION, SETS NEW PLAN FOR TOWN CENTER
By Mike Allen
Photo: Santee Fire Department responding in 2023
March 1, 2025 (Santee) -- The chaos and disruption happening daily at the federal government isn’t permeating to the local level in Santee, where the City Council took several significant actions this week, including funding the remaining balance on a $2 million temporary fire station, adopting a new specific plan for its Town Center area, and hearing that its finances are in sterling shape.
SENATOR PADILLA, COLLEAGUES PUSH TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO EXEMPT SEASONAL FIREFIGHTERS FROM FEDERAL HIRING FREEZE
East County News Service
February 27, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined 14 other Democratic Senators in urging senior Trump Administration officials to reverse the hiring and onboarding freeze of federal seasonal firefighters that they say threatens the safety of communities in California and across the nation. The Trump Administration’s January 20 hiring freeze of federal civilian employees inexplicably did not exempt federal seasonal firefighters, despite exempting other critical public safety personnel.
EL CAJON CITY COUNCIL’S FIRE DEPARTMENT COVERAGE WORKSHOP
By G. A. McNeeley
February 15, 2025 (El Cajon) - The El Cajon City Council, city staff, Heartland Fire Department and labor representatives came together on Wednesday to discuss possible short-term options, to staff a newly purchased fire engine, after a grant failed to fund.
Last year, the City Council explored options to augment fire and medical response coverage throughout the city. The Council directed staff to acquire an additional fire engine and seek a grant to fund the staff to operate that engine. Although the engine was acquired, the City was not successful in obtaining the grant. Their intent was to operate the engine (E-208) out of Station 8 as a full service vehicle, staffed with nine new employees. The grant would have paid for the majority of those employees.
Wildfires
SDG&E RESTORES POWER TO ALL CUSTOMERS AFTER HISTORIC WEATHER EXTREMES
Source: SDG&E
January 25, 2025 (SDG&E) – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced this evening that power has been fully restored to all customers affected by recent Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). Over 19,000 customers were impacted in dozens of local communities. These shutoffs were implemented as a wildfire prevention measure in response to unprecedented weather conditions that led to prolonged high-fire risk.
BORDER 2 FIRE VISIBLE ACROSS COUNTY, STILL WITH NO CONTAINMENT
Update 8:46 p.m.-- The fire is now 600 acres, per Watch Duty App. No structures are currently threatened.
By Miriam Raftery
Photo, left, by Jeff Caton, taken from the intersection of Fletcher Parkway and Cuyamaca St. in El Cajon this evening.
Photo, right: Border 2 Fire viewed from HP Wren Otay Mountain West camera
January 23, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – The Border 2 Fire burning on Otay Mountain has swelled to 566 acres as of 7 p.m. tonight. The flames are visible as far north as Escondido and Ramona. There is zero containment as yet.
The fire which began early this afternoon was burning at a “dangerous” rate of spread, Watch Duty App reported, however this evening Cal Fire indicates it is growing at a moderate rate as winds have lessened.
No evacuation notices have been sent out by the County, though campers at Pio Pico and Thousand Trials have posted on social media that they were advised to evacuate or prepare to evacuate.
BORDER 2 FIRE ON OTAY MOUNTAIN SPREADING AT "DANGEROUS" RATE
Update 5:05 p.m.-- The #Border2Fire is now 248 acres and still 0% contained. Winds have shifted toward campgrounds with campers at Pio Pico told to evacuate and Thousand Trails campers receiving a warning to be prepared, per social media posts from campers at these sites.
update 4 p.m.-- The fire is now 148 acres per Watch Duty app and is large enough to be visible from space. (Photo, right, via NASA)
Update 3:45 p.m.-- The fire is now 50 acres and 0% contained, per Cal Fire.
By Miriam Raftery
Photo by Barry Jantz: Border 2 Fire viewed from Jamul, with Jamul Casino in foreground.
January 23, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- The #Border2Fire that started within the hour on Otay Mountain is now 20 acres and burning at a "dangerous" rate of spread, per Watch Duty App. Cal Fire lists the size as 10 acres with potential for 200 acres.
The fire started near Otay Truck Trail in the Otay WIlderness area. Infrastructure on the mountain is threatened, per Watch Duty App.
LEMON GROVE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS HOST FUNDRAISER FOR LA FIRE DISASTER RELIEF
East County News Service
January 22, 2025 (Lemon Grove) — In the wake of the devastating fires that have swept through Los Angeles, Lemon Grove non-profit service clubs such as the Lemon Grove Lions, Lemon Grove Forward Club, Thrive, Soroptimists International of Lemon Grove, Mt. Miguel High School Alumni and the Lemon Grove Fire Department to name a few, are uniting to provide much-needed assistance to affected families and communities. These dedicated organizations are hosting a fundraising event on Sat, Feb 1st at Treganza Park from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
LILAC FIRE IN BONSALL SPARKS EVACUATIONS, HOMES BURNED
Update 4 p.m.: Evacuations have been listed and forward spread has been stopped.
Update 11 a.m. -- The evacuation center at Castle Creek Golf Course has closed. Evacutees should go to Riverview Church,4980 Sweetgrass Lane in Bonsall.
January 21, 2025 (Bonsall) -- The #LilacFire in Bonsall has burned 80 acres and destroyed two homes, with 10% containment. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered. The fire is burning along Old Highway 395 and North Lilac Rd.
View evacuation areas at the Genaysis mapping site. An evacuation center is at the Castle Creek Golf Course, 8797 Circle R Drive in Escondido 92026. Large animals can be taken to the CRC Ranch at 43101 Anza Rd in Temecula - per San Diego Sheriff's on X.
All schools in Bonsall are closed today due to the fire, according to the Bonsall Unified School District.
A second blaze that started overnight, the Pala Fire, is 100% contained at 17 acres. That fire was located west of I-15 and 2 miles north of Highway 76 in Pala.
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