LATEST FIRE NEWS

Note: This Web site will be updated as events warrant.
10/22/2007 12:08 a.m.
So far there is no fires in the Valley Center Fire Protection District or Valley Center.
There is no fire on Lilac Road. Some residents have heard reports of a “Lilac” fire, but apparently that is a fire burning in the Fallbrook area. So don’t tie up phone lines calling the Valley Center fire department to ask about it!
There are mandatory evacuations of the Paradise Mountain area, including Skyline Ranch and Guejito Road as fire threatens to move towards Valley Center from San Pasqual.
Fire Marshal George Lucia is currently going through the Paradise Mountain area trying to persuade residents to leave.
There have also reportedly been reverse 911 warnings for residents living along Woods Valley and North Lake Wohlford to evacuate.
The San Pasqual Reservation has been evacuated.
The areas threatened can be found on Thomas Bros. map pages 1091, 1111 and 1090.
According to one CalFire captain: “This is a wind/Santa Ana driven fire that is moving very quickly. There are few fires more dangerous than a Santa Ana. Use extreme caution while in the area of this incident. It can quickly surround you and you will rapidly become a victim.”
* * *
Sunday we began reliving the nightmare.
In what some fear will be a worse fire than the catastrophe of 2003 twin blazes began near Santa Ysabel and Campo and raced west.
As many as 250,000 San Diego County residents have been evacuated from their homes and over 100,000 acres have burned.
By late Sunday Ramona was a ghost town, completely evacuated, while fires raced west through San Pasqual towards Rancho Bernardo.
Some people in Ramona barely got out with their lives, just moments ahead of the blaze.
Palomar Mountain was partially evacuated Sunday night when a small fire started on the slopes of the mountain near the Riverside County line. But as of this writing the mountain is not threatened.
Valley Center could be threatened along the route that it took in the Paradise fire, except in the reverse. But so far there are no fires in Valley Center.
All schools in the Valley Center- Pauma Unified School District were closed on Monday.
According to Olivia Leschick, Administrator in Charge of Special Projects: “We will update parents about status for tomorrow by a telephone message that will be given in English and in Spanish through our Connect Ed. Phone System.”
Because of high winds aircraft that normally would be used to fight the flames have been grounded.
* * *
Contrary to earlier reports I-15 has NOT been reopened.
It is still closed in both directions between the 78 and the 56.
Caltrans requested that I-15 be closed again because of fire threats to wooden structures along the freeway.
* * *
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for Escondido in the Bear Valley/78 area.
Evacuation points have been established at San Marcos High School at 1615 W. San Marcos Blvd. and Poway Civic Center at 13325 Civic Center Drive.
Mandatory evacuations have also been ordered for the Harris Fire near Honey Springs Road and Lyons Valley Road and all areas to the east toward Cleveland National Forest.
* * *
Emergency officials are reminding residents to limit cell phone calls and use major highways for emergencies only.
Residents should call 2-1-1 for all non-emergency calls related to this fire. Due to large call volume, residents are also urged to find fire information online at www.211sandiego.org.
Residents may also call the City of San Diego Community Access Phone at 619-570-1070 for additional fire information.
The following has been reported but not confirmed:
“Rainbow has been evacuated & the fire has jumped I-15. They are closing I-15 at the Riverside border. I-15 is also closed at Hwy 78. So.... if you are in Rainbow, Fallbrook, Bonsall areas, the only exit is westbound on Hwy 76... or Lilac Rd & Gopher Canyon to Vista Way.”
According to the County’s Emergency Web site: “Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for Rancho Santa Fe, portions of Leucadia, as well as the Olivenhain Dam area. Mandatory evacuations have also been ordered for Lakeside at 13100 Willow Rd.”
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for Hallyeyaaw Lane in Santa Ysabel.
* * *
Tune to KOGO 600 AM radio for continued updates.