Lakeside Firefighters Tackle McWest Lane Fire

Lakeside, CA -  Lakeside Firefighters from the Riverview station (Station 1) were dispatched today to the area of McWest Lane in Lakeside for the report of a vegetation fire.


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When E1 and M1 arrived at the scene, they found a small, quick moving fire in light, flashy fuels that had the potential to reach several structures.  Bystanders attempted to put the fire out,  but were overrun by the heat. Crews made a rapid attack on the fire, preventing it from reaching any of the threatened houses.  The crews were able to keep this fire to a relatively small area of less than an acre and no homes were damaged.

As we come into summer, it is important to remember how quickly a small spark can turn into something much larger.  The fuels in this vacant lot, as can be seen in the pictures, were extremely dry.  These fuel characteristics can be seen throughout the county today and will remain the same throughout the summer.  This is a good reminder to do the required clearing around your house.  For information about how to make sure you are in compliance feel free to contact your local fire department.

Captain Barnes dons his protective equipment before starting a hoselay

As is shown above, firefighters must wear protective gear to attack fires in the wildland setting.  This was a relatively small scale fire but the protective equipment worn here is the same equipment we wear on fires such as the Cedar Fire and Witch Creek Fire.

Firefighters halt the lateral spread of the fire

These light, flashy fules can be very dangerous to fight fire in.  These fine fuels allow fires to spread very quickly.  If there is a sudden gust of wind the fire can change from a small spot to several acres in a very short time.  Fortunately, the Lakeside firefighters on the scene of this fire were able to quickly put out the flames and keep the fire from becoming much more of an incident.

Mopping up the fire