East County News Service
May 5, 2026 (Lakeside) — As the region prepares for the inevitable heat and dry winds of summer, hundreds of first responders are converging on East County to ensure they’re prepared before the first smoke appears on the horizon.
Beginning tomorrow, Wednesday May 6, and through Friday, May 8, the San Diego County Fire Chiefs, in coordination with the Barona Fire Department and the Barona Band of Mission Indians, will launch the San Diego County Multi-Agency Wildland Preparedness Exercise.
The three-day event will bring together about 750 firefighters and law enforcement personnel from across the county to simulate the high-pressure conditions of a major wildland fire.
The training will be centered at Barona Fire Station 27 in Lakeside, starting daily at 9 a.m.
Residents utilizing Wildcat Canyon Road should expect significant traffic delays. Those who live in or near Lakeside are advised that fire engines and law enforcement personnel will be navigating through Wildcat Canyon Road to proceed to the drill sites and people should plan for extra travel time through May 8.
This training also serves as a timely reminder for homeowners to audit their own properties. Firefighters can defend a home much more effectively if residents do prep work beforehand.
Data consistently shows that the work done before a fire starts is the single greatest predictor of whether a home survives; and that 80 percent of homes lost could have been saved if brush were properly cleared. Removing all vegetation and combustible materials within a 5-foot perimeter of a home can reduce structure loss by 17 percent.
The exercise isn’t just about putting water on flames, says Sonny Saghera, fire captain for Heartland Fire & Rescue, it’s about the complex logistics that save lives in the Wildland-Urban Interface.
Crews will rotate through drills focused on emergency communications and ensuring different agencies can talk to each other seamlessly; firefighter survival and navigating “near-miss” scenarios and entrapment; structure defense and strategizing how to save homes when a fire is actively moving through a neighborhood; and hose deployments and practicing rapid-fire attacks under simulated emergency stress.
San Diego Gas & Electric is sponsoring the event, for the 16th year. The utility’s involvement is a critical safety component, as SDG&E provides specialized training on navigating the dangers of downed power lines, a frequent and deadly obstacle during active wildfires.