By Miriam Raftery

Photos by Cynthia Wharton, taken yesterday from Otay Lakes Road just before it was shut down.

May 21, 2017 – A criminal arson investigation has been launched into the cause of the Gate Fire, which has charred 2,056 acres and is now 70% contained.

Captain Isaac Sanchez with Cal Fire told ECM news partner 10 News that a video shot by a target shooter and posted on social media shows a group of people starting the fire. The video may be this one posted by a user named Vandalsworld on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/p/BUVtlvSBN0r/?hl=en.   The poster claims the people started the fire, but it is unclear whether the fire was started by shooting or some other way. After the fire started, the people could be seen walking away from the scene.

Earlier, some neighbors had blamed the fire on shooters at a target range near where the fire began, in an area where shooting is believed to have started several prior brush fires. But now a shooter may have captured evidence to catch possible arsonists or careless individuals whose actions ignited the Gate Fire.

Firefighters continue to make progress towards full containment, Cal Fire reports.  State Route 94 has been reopened, as well as Otay Lakes Road.  Please drive with caution, however, in this area.

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Clip art

October 11, 2016 (Dulzura) - A Border Patrol Agent tracking a border crosser on Friday made a grisly discovery:  a human skull.  The Sheriff’s office and Medical Examiner’s office were notified and recovered the remains. During the search, a long bone was located near the skull; no other remains were found.

By Miriam Raftery

June 21, 2016 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fire has issued an update at 11:32 a.m. advising the Border Fire is holding at 7500 acres, but still only 5% contained. Evacuation orders remain in place for Forest Gate, Star Ranch, Cowboy Ranch, Dog Patch and Canyon City.  The Red Cross has an evacuation shelter set up at Los Coches Creek Middle School at 9669 Dunbar Lane in El Cajon.

East County News Service

Update:  John "Arias" Harrington has been found in Tecate, Mexico and is now back in the U.S. in a hospital receiving medical treatment, a family friend informed ECM today.

View or print missing flyer

December 29, 2015 (Dulzura)—John Sebastian “Arias” Harrington, 25, has been missing since Christmas Eve.   His family is very concerned for his safety.  He was last seen driving a friend’s red F-150 truck with CA license 7U32923. He was last seen wearing a red windbreaker jacket, jeans and a black watch.

Harrington dropped off friends  at the San Diego Airport on on Dec. 24.  He is from Oceanside, but GPS indicates his last known location was in the Campo-Dulzura area at 10 p.m. that night.  A caretaker for disabled individuals, most recently he was working for a person in Jamul. His mother, Deb Meacham, told ECM that police  said his employer received a text message from him a day or so later. He has not been heard from since then.  There are indications he may be confused due to missing medication, his mother said.

November 22, 2014 (Dulzura) – If you’re waiting on a UPS package, you might be out of luck.  A UPS delivery van filled with parcels caught fire and was destroyed Wednesday in Dulzura.

Concerns remain among residents over traffic impacts from proposed casino at Jamul Indian Village

September 12, 2013 (Jamul) – The Jamul/Dulzura Community Planning Gorup has received a Notice of Preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact Report for roadway improvements to Highway 94.   These would include widening of the highway to provide access to the Jamul Indian Reservation, where a casino is proposed, as well as improvements to intersections of Highway 94 and Jamacha Boulevard, Jamacha Road, Steel Canyon Road, Lyons Valley Road, and Maxfield Road.  deerhornvalley.net/CaltransNOP.pdf

“These improvements would be necessary to help handle the 10,000 extra casino-bound vehicles daily,”  Deerhorn Valley Antler editor Kim Hamilton said in an e-mail.

Cal Trans will hold a meeting on Tuesday, September 17 from 5-8 p.m. at  Cottonwood Golf Club, 3121 Willow Glen Drive in EL Cajon.

By Miriam Raftery; photo by Donnie Durfee

Rural residents are demanding answers and improved communications after a truck with an oversized load  broke down and blocked traffic on State Route 94 for over 50 hours.  Even after the road was cleared, the big rig remained on the shoulder at Marron Valley Road in Dulzura for two weeks before it was finally removed. 

Media was not warned and no Sig Alert was issued to alert residents prior to the oversized load taking to the highway, even though the slow-moving, extra-wide load obstructed traffic in both directions along the main evacuation route for residents in areas including Jamul, Deerhorn Valley, Potrero,  Barrett Junction and Tecate.

During the blockage, residents were forced to detour up to 90 miles, causing delays of many hours.  Yet a SigAlert was not issued until seven hours after the road was completely blocked by the mechanical breakdown.  Even before the breakdown, the oversized, slow-moving load obstructed traffic in both directions.  The load was about 231 feet long – yet posted signs indicate the maximum truck length allowed is 75 feet.  So why was this rig allowed to take this narrow route with many hairpin curves when straighter, wider routes to its destination were available?

August 1, 2013 (Dulzura) – Dulzura-Barrett Fire Dept. and the Dulzura Community Center host a Deep Pit BBQ on August 4 from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Camp’s Grove, 17087 Hwy 94, Dulzura.  A dinner of beef, pork, coleslaw, beans, corn-on-the-cob, roll and 8oz drink will be served from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.  The entertainment will include music from DJ, Bill the Breeze, dancing, Chicken Game, horseshoes, raffles, an auction and activities for the kids.

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.  

 Update 5:10 p.m. - The forward spread of this fire has been stopped. 

May 25, 2012 (Dulzura) – A brush fire titled the "Pink Fire" is burning in the 17000 block of Highway 94 near Sycamore Canyon in the Dulzura area. 

“It’s burning under power lines,” Battalion Chief Nick Schuler informed ECM.  Currently the fire is approximately three acres in size, burning in a canyon to the east.

Update June 6, 2011 6 a.m. -- The Bee Fire is now 90% contained at 100 acres, Cal-Fire says. 
June 5, 2011 (Dulzura)—The Bee Fire, which started at Marron Valley Road and Bee Canyon south of Dulzura at 3:45 p.m. this afternoon, is now 100 to 130 acres. The wildfire is now 5% contained and forward spread has been stopped, according to the Cal-Fire incident page: http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_current

Full containment is projected for midnight tonight.

May 4, 2011 (Dulzura) – Gilbert N. Amador, 73, died May 2nd at Sharp Hospital of injuries sustained in a collision with a semi-truck April 28 at Dulzura. According to the San Diego Medical Examiner’s office, Amador was en route to an appointment and struck a semi-truck that was stopped in the roadway preparing to make a left turn.

Story and photos by Miriam Raftery