Lakeside Firefighters Assist at Spring Valley Brush Fire

Fire crews work the steep hillside above Spring Valley and the Sweetwater Reservoir

 
Dictionary Hill: As the weather in our county continues to increase in heat, so does the frequency and intensity of brush fires. This was the case today in the San Miguel Fire Protection District in Spring Valley. A fire broke out just after 11:00am and spread rapidly in dry grass and vegetation on the steep hillside racing towards the homes above (map). Thanks to the quick response by San Miguel units and automatic aid from Bonita, Santee, Lakeside and San Diego Copters 10 and 12 the blaze was brought under control before structures were lost.

Lakeside Firefighter Todd Welch and Engineer Steve Thompson "Mop Up" the hot spots.

The tall grass crop that has grown with help from above normal rain fall this winter is becoming dryer by the day and was a contributing factor in the rapid flame spread on this incident. Some of the homes threatened by today's fire had dry grass and vegetation dangerously close, luckily they were spared this time around. Please remember to provide your home with a "Defensible Space" in order to increase the odds of surviving a fire like this one. Learn more about defensible space HERE.

Homes within 50' of the blaze with NO defensible space.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.


Submitted by: Chuck Palmore, Lakeside Fire Captain