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December 5, 2024 (Lakeside) – Shiloh Ireland interviewed Barona Fire Chief Ken  Kremensky and Cal Fire Division Chief Eric on December 3 during a 160-acre controlled burn on the Barona reservation in Lakeside.

Burning old brush has ecological benefits, also protecting communities from wildfires since it’s far easier to conduct a prescribed burn during winter conditions instead of battling a raging wildfire during high winds and heat when Santa Ana winds can drive hurricane-force gusts.

Don't get burned! Safety tips to prepare for wildfires

By Miriam Raftery

Hear full interview

September 30, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fire Captain and Public Information Officer Mike Cornette, in an interview aired on the East County Magazine Radio Show on KNSJ, offered an outlook on peak wildfire season, information on new Zone Zero defensible space requirements around homes, as well as tips to prepare for wildfires and keep your household safe.

On the fall outlook for wildfires,  he notes that fire season is now year-round. “We’ve seen large fires anywhere from January to December in every different part of the state, every different part of the county.” Now that peak fire season approaches, there is heavy grass from last winter’s heavy rains, “so we’re still expecting potential for large wildland fires through December.”

Recent major fires in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and San Bernadino Counties should be a "wakeup call" for residents across California to be prepared for wildfires by creating defensible space around homes and being ready to evacuated if needed.

Captain Cornette urges people to maintain defensible space from 0 to 100 feet around your home—thinning fuels in the morning, with high humidity and lower temperatures,  “to make it more survivable.”

East County News Service

December 20, 2023 (Jamul)—"We’re shell-shocked!” CalFire San Diego posted on  Instagram. “A family who was missing their pet, ‘Mr. T’, for approximately one month, was ecstatic when staff from #CALFIRE San Diego found him while completing fuel reduction work near Hollenbeck Canyon Wildlife Area.”  The preserve is located in Jamul.

Source:  Cal Fire

November 23, 2023 (San Diego) – Effective Monday November 27th at 8:00 AM the burn permit suspension in San Diego County will be lifted. CAL FIRE / San Diego County Fire Chief Tony Mecham is formally canceling the burn permit suspension and advises that those possessing current and valid agricultural and residential burn permits can now resume burning on permissible burn days. Burning hours will be 8:00 a.m. to sunset.

By Miriam Raftery

Click image, left, to view San Diego Sheriff's video remembering 911

September 11, 2023 (San Diego) – Flags across the nation are at half-mast today to commemorate 2,996 people killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The attacks by hijacked airlines destroyed the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York City, ravaged the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and took the lives of passengers and crew aboard a United Airlines plane bound for the Capitol that crashed in Pennsylvania.

Locally and nationally, first responders today are remembering those who lost their lives, as well as the brave first responders who came to the aid of survivors.

Source:  Cal Fire

July 1, 2023 (Sacramento) - CAL FIRE is bolstering its firefighting aircraft fleet across California for the second year in a row as a result of over $72 million in funding provided by the administration of Governor Gavin Newsom. The investment has allowed CAL FIRE to secure 24 additional firefighting aircraft (19 helicopters and 5 airplanes for a contractual period of 90-120 days) to enhance their statewide response efforts against wildfires in California. The additional fixed-wing aircraft include 3 large airtankers specifically designed to carry up to 4,000 gallons of retardant. These aircraft have been strategically located in communities across California and will be pre-positioned to meet the needs of potential fire activity throughout the state.

Source: Cal Fire

April 19, 2023 (Sacramento) – CAL FIRE has launched a new Online Burn Permit application platform that offers the public a user-friendly way to request a burn permit. Burn permits that are available on this platform include the following:

By Julie Cart, CalMatters

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters

Photo:  A Cal Fire employee tries to comfort another participant during a healing retreat at the Nurturing Nest in Desert Hot Springs on Feb. 25, 2022. Photo by Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters

September 10, 2022 (San Diego) - The morning sun warms California’s high desert, launching a clear spring day. Behind high walls at The Nurturing Nest, across from a burbling mineral pool, a small group of men and women roll up yoga mats and arrange themselves in a semi-circle. Their week at this tranquil retreat is ending and a counselor seeks final thoughts from each of them.

Source:  Cal Fire

August 3, 2022 (San Diego) - Effective Monday August 1, 2022 the CAL FIRE San Diego Unit will have an exclusive use Type 1 helicopter available for response (N795HT). The helicopter will operate out of the Ramona Airport and be managed by the CAL FIRE San Diego Unit's aviation personnel. This will bolster the fleet of aviation firefighting assets and can be utilized throughout San Diego County for wildfire suppression.

By Chuck Westerheide, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  entry to the new Fox Fire Center

May 24, 2022 (Palomar Mountain) -County Fire and CAL FIRE are working to turn a sixth-grade camp site at the base of Palomar Mountain into a fire center to train new firefighters. Today, a board letter from Supervisor Jim Desmond recommended the County finalize an agreement with CAL FIRE to use the Camp Fox site as a wildland firefighting base.  The Camp Fox property was owned by the County, but transferred to the San Diego County Office of Education in 1977.  It is now transferring back to the County.

East County News Service

September 30, 2021 (Sacramento) -- Over 10,400 firefighters are on the front lines battling 11 major wildfires burning across the state, making headway on many of the most devastating blazes, Cal Fire reported over the weekend. Get the latest fire updates in California at https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents.

Source:  Cal Fire

August 16, 2021 (Oroville, Calif.) - On Saturday August 7th around 1:00 a.m., one Cal Fire Captain and three Cal Fire firefighters were injured while engaged in fire suppression on the Dixie Fire in Northern California. A fire-weakened tree fell and injured four members of Rainbow Crew 5, a firefighting handcrew from Cal Fire San Diego Unit. All four were transported to the hospital with various injuries.

By Paul Kruze, Contributing Editor

Photo by Paul Kruze, left:  Bonfire in Rancho San Diego ignited nearby foliage, prompting fire crews to respond.

June 12, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – Cal Fire has banned burn permits effective immediately, as temperatures rise across our inland region. The no-burn proclamation will remain in effect indefinitely.

Two recent illegal bonfires in a single night swiftly burned out of control recently, prompting responses by firefighters witnessed by this ECM journalist. Those incidents highlight the dangers of open burning, as temperatures rise and brush dries out across our inland region with summer drawing near.