By Miriam Raftery

January 20, 2025 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fresh is offering up to one month of benefits to replce food lost due to a power outage or natural disaster—but you must apply within 10 days of food loss.

 That news comes as welcome relief for residents in rural East County, where some have lost power multiple times recently due to planned public saety power outages by SDG&E to prevent wildfires, as well as from other causes.

You can qualify for replacement food cost benefits if you had food spoilage due to:

• A power outage lasted longer than four hours
• Utilities were shut off for any reason
• A freezer or refrigerator stopped working

To apply, download a Replacement/Affidavit/Authoriization Form (CF-303) at https://SDHunger.org/replacement-calfresh . More details below.

Update 4 p.m.:  Forward spread has been stopped and fixed-wing aircraft dismissed, though helicopters remain on scene.

East County News Service

January 20, 2025 (Poway) – Structures are immediately threatened by a brush fire in Poway.  The #TedWilliamsFire is burning along Ted Williams Parkway and Pomerado Road. 

Evacuations are being conducted near Glen Oak Road, Watch Duty App reports. Evacuation details: www.AlertSD.org.

The blaze has charred three acres thus far and comes amid a Red Flag Alert due to dry conditions and potential for very high winds.

By Miriam Raftery

January 19, 2025 (San Diego) – January’s freakish weather continues with both fire danger and frost forecast for this week.  The weather hazards line up for a potentially “worse case” scenario, the National Weather Service predicts.

A red flag warning has been issued for San Diego County’s inland mountains and valleys Monday and Tuesday due to low humidity and strong winds forecast.

Cold mornings will also bring frost in sheltered inland valleys west of the mountains.

Widespread wind gusts over 35 miles per hour are expected, with a high potential for gusts up to 60 miles per hour in the mountain areas Monday and Tuesday.

Source: SDG&E

January 12, 2025 (San Diego) –On Friday,  San Diego Gas & Electric reported that it had restored power to all customers affected by Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS). Despite the restorations, unprecedented and prolonged dry conditions continue. SDG&E encourages customers to remain prepared with the potential for future shutoffs in the coming days.

SDG&E began de-energizing customers earlier this week in response to elevated wildfire weather conditions and the driest start to the rainy season in San Diego County in the past 174 years. This proactive measure was taken to reduce wildfire risk and protect public safety. Following patrols and inspections of power lines on foot and by air, SDG&E crews restored power for all customers who were impacted by PSPS as of Friday evening.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Lakeside Fire Department, which has sent firefighters to battle the Palisades wildfire

January 11, 2025 (Los Angeles) – After days of massive destruction and widespread evacuations, firefighters are finally making progress on four remaining wildfires in the Los Angeles area.  At least 13 people have died in the fires, which have destroyed an estimated12,000 structures, the Los Angeles Times reports.

At least 90 firefighters from San Diego County have been dispatched to help fight the L.A. fires, including Lakeside Fire Department, which posted photos on social media of the Palisades Fire that their firefighters have been battling since Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands remain evacuated, as firefighters slowly make progress toward controlling fires fueled initially by hurricane-force winds.

Here are the latest updates from Cal Fire and L.A.-based news outlets: