Lakeside Firefighters Battle Fire at Eastbound Neighborhood Grill

Lakeside, CA -

At 4:08 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, 2016, Lakeside Firefighters were alerted to a reported commercial structure fire in the 10000 block of Maine Avenue in the old downtown Lakeside business district. Engine 2 from the nearby River Park fire station was on scene in under five minutes reporting moderate smoke showing from the roof of the Eastbound Neighborhood Grill, a popular local bar and restaurant.

Lakeside Division 4103 (Hisaw) arrived simultaneously, assumed Maine Incident Command (IC), and began directing firefighting operations. With the quick arrival of subsequent companies, E2's crew stretched a hoseline to the smoky interior of the building to discover a well-advanced fire in the kitchen. It took firefighters around ten minutes to knock down the fire. An additional hoseline was stretched to the roof by the Truck 4 crew to extinguish fire that had also extended there. The quick response and aggressive operations limited fire damage to the kitchen. The rest of the occupancy did have some smoke and water damage.

Lakeside Firefighters would like to acknowledge our automatic-aid partners for their timely assistance in controlling this dangerous fire. Units attending this incident included: E1, E2, E3, M2, Div. 4103, Div. 4105, Chief 4101, Support 4140 (Lakeside); E4, T4 (Santee); E8, E9 (Heartland). Additionally, Heartland Engine 10 was moved to cover Lakeside Fire Station 2 during the incident. San Diego Sheriff's deputies also assisted.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Hoselines stretched off Engine 2.

The fire hydrant was close by.

Lakeside LVGs set up incident support near Santee Truck 4.

Post and photos by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District

Lakeside Firefighters Battle Motorhome Fire

Lakeside, CA - 

Early on the morning of February 9, 2016, Heartland Communications (HCFA) dispatchers received a 911 call reporting a large motorhome on fire in the 11500 block of Oak Creek Drive in the Eucalyptus Hills area of Lakeside. HCFA alerted Lakeside fire stations 1 and 2 at 5:27 a.m. for a large vehicle fire response. Lakeside Division 4105 (Molloy) and E2 arrived in just over seven minutes reporting a large class A motorhome in a residential driveway well-involved with fire. Division 4105 assumed Oak Creek IC and assigned E2 to attack the fire. E1 arrived and assisted with establishing a water supply and pulled an additional hoseline to help extinguish the fire. During extinguishment, the electrical service to the home burned through and dropped in the street. The fire was confined to the motorhome.

As was the case with this incident, fires in motorhomes progress very rapidly and generate a tremendous amount of heat due to the types of materials used in their construction. The quick fire department response to this incident helped ensure that this dangerous fire did not extend to the nearby house.

Resources attending this incident included E1, E2, Div.4105, Chief 4101. Assisting agencies included S.D. Sheriff, CHP, and SDG&E. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The view from the Incident Command Post.

E1 arrives to assist.

Getting water on the fire.

Engineer-Paramedic Jamie Hazlewood managing his pump panel.

FF-PMs Bing Tom and Chase Mashburn overhaul the fire.

Post by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District
Photos by: Division Chief Bernie Molloy and Engineer Shawn McKenna, Lakeside Fire District

Lakeside Firefighters Extinguish Structure Fire

El Monte Valley -

Just after 2:00 p.m. on Monday, January 4, 2016, Heartland Fire Communications received numerous reports of a fire on the northeast end of the El Monte Valley in Lakeside. Because of the remote nature of area, the initial report was for a vegetation fire. While enroute the incident, Lakeside Division 4105 (Molloy) was updated with additional information suggesting a probable structure fire. Chief Molloy added additional units to the response and arrived on scene reporting a large outbuilding well-involved with fire extending to the surrounding vegetation. Lakeside Engine 3 (Lake Jennings) arrived and quickly stretched a handline to attack the fire. Engines 2 (River Park) and 26 (Blossom Valley) also arrived and assisted.

In this area of the fire district there is no municipal water system (and therefore, no fire hydrants). In order to ensure an adequate water supply for firefighting operations, the district water tender (WT7251) is automatically dispatched as part of any fire response in this area. The total amount of water delivered to the scene with the initial response to this fire exceeded 3000 gallons.

The fire was quickly knocked down and extension was limited to a small area of vegetation. Additional responding resources included: E4, Br4 (Santee); Division 4103, Chief 4101, M3 (Lakeside). Also assisting were several San Diego Sheriff Deputies. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Smoke was visible from a distance.

Lakeside Fire Captain Chris Downing directs the fire attack.

Probationary Firefighter-Paramedic Ernie Flint on the nozzle.

Lakeside Captain Wes Barnes helps with overhaul.

Lakeside Fire Engineers Lance Buford (r) and Jamie Hazlewood put together the water supply plan.

Post and Photos By: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District

Carbon Monoxide Alarm Alerts Sleeping Family

Lakeside, CA - 

A family was awakened by their home's Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm early on the morning of August 16, 2015. Firefighters from Lakeside's River Park Fire Station were summoned at 2:35 a.m. to investigate the hazard. Arriving to find the home's occupants outside, the crew from Engine 2 used their carbon monoxide detector to confirm that the residence did contain significant levels of the deadly gas. Upon investigation, the source was confirmed to be a charcoal barbecue that had been stored in the garage after earlier use. The barbecue was moved outside and a ventilation fan was used supply the home with fresh air. Several subsequent walk-throughs of the home confirmed that no levels of CO remained.

Carbon Monoxide presents a particularly insidious danger to occupants. It is colorless and odorless which makes it virtually undetectable to humans. Its physical properties allow it to mix well with air inside your home allowing it to persist in nearly all the spaces inside. CO is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels from sources like gas-burning appliances, charcoal grills, or automobile exhaust. According to the CDC, an average of 430 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from unintentional CO poisoning.

This incident is an important reminder of the need for functioning CO (and smoke) alarms in residential dwellings. The CO alarms in this home (which were located on every level and outside each sleeping area) alerted these sleeping residents to the presence of a potentially deadly condition.

When using charcoal barbecue grills, ensure the coals are properly extinguished (wet and cold) and disposed of in an approved container prior to storing the grill. Additionally, have gas furnaces serviced prior to (fall and winter) use.

This bbq grill was producing a lot of CO!

 Post by: Captain Scott Culkin, Lakeside Fire District

Morning Fire Destroys Mobile Home

 Lakeside, CA -

On the morning of January 10, 2015, Lakeside Firefighters were dispatched to a structure fire at Gray Buckner’s Mobile Lodge on Woodside Avenue. The response included 4 structural fire engines, 1 truck company, 1 ambulance staffed with firefighter/paramedics, and a chief officer.

Engine 1 was on scene in under four minutes.

Engine 1 (Riverview Station) arrived to find the mobile home fully involved. After establishing a lengthy supply line from the nearest fire hydrant, crews attacked the fire with hand lines and were able to bring it under control in about 20 minutes. Overhaul of the fire was put on hold while deputies from the SDSO Bomb/Arson unit conducted an investigation of the origin and cause.

Captain Wes Barnes performs an assessment as the attack line is stretched.

Lakeside units were assisted by the Santee Fire Department, the San Miguel Fire Protection District and members of our very own Logistics Volunteer Group. In addition, volunteers from the Red Cross responded to provide the displaced occupant with temporary housing and basic necessities. Fortunately, no one was injured.

FF-PM Chris Williams protects the "D-side" exposure.

FF-PM Chris Williams gets a quick knock-down.

Supply line was laid from a hydrant several hundred feet away.

Story by Chief Jim Kirkpatrick

Photos by Captain John Hisaw

Vehicle Fire Spreads to Vegetation on Hwy 67

Lakeside:

Firefighters in Lakeside were called out on Monday August 18, 2014 to reports of a fully involved vehicle fire on Highway 67 near Scripps Poway Parkway.  The dispatch location falls near the border of three fire districts, so units from Lakeside, Cal Fire, and Poway Fire were dispatched.

Cal Fire Engine 3388 arrived just before Lakeside Engine 2 and reported a fully involved vehicle fire that was spreading into the vegetation.  Crews from the Cal Fire Engine and Lakeside Engine 2 split their efforts, using one hose line out to address the vehicle fire and one hose line to address the vegetation fire.  The fire in the vegetation was quickly stopped and held to under 1/4 of an acre.  The vehicle fire was also extinguished, but the car was a complete loss.

The incident, which occurred during the evening commute, caused quite a bit of traffic on HWY 67.  CHP assisted the Fire crews on scene by making what is usually a four line highway into a 2 lane highway.  This assistance gave firefighters enough space to address the two fires safely.

View 2014 Incident Map in a larger map

  Story and Photos by Captain Bernie Molloy

Late night structure fire on Olde Hwy 80

Just after midnight on July 30, 2014, crews from the Lakeside, El Cajon, and Santee Fire Departments where dispatched to a reported structure fire on Olde Hwy 80 near Pecan Park.  Heavy smoke could be seen from the top of Lake Jennings Park Road.  Engine 3 from the Lake Jennings fire station was the first engine on scene and reported heavy smoke and fire coming from a detached garage.  The fire was quickly knocked down by first arriving units and there was no spread into the vegetation.  Crews were committed a short time to overhaul the building and check for fire extension through the walls.  The cause of the fire is being looked into.

Units that responded to this where Lakeside engine 2, engine 3, engine 26, Medic 3, chief 4104, and chief 4101.  We also had assistance from El Cajon engine 8 and Santee truck 4. 

HWY 67 Closed for Major Traffic Collision

Lakeside, CA -

On Friday May 30, 2014, at approximately 3:15 in the afternoon units were requested to respond to Hwy 67 northbound to reports of a head on collision just south of Winter Gardens Blvd.  Lakeside Engine 1 arrived on scene and found two vehicles with major damage, each of which had trapped victims inside.  Additional resources were immediately requested due to the large workload that would be required to extricate multiple patients from separate vehicles.

View 2014 Incident Map in a larger map

The incident, which was being directed by Lakeside Division Chief 4104, utilized engines from Lakeside, Santee, and El Cajon.  Two rescue units were also assigned, Santee R5 and Lakeside R3 from the Lake Jennings Fire Station.  The two patients were in critical condition meaning they would require separate transporting units so two ALS units were requested as well as Mercy Air 6.  

Crews work to extricate patients from separate vehicles

A large quantity of debris was strewn from the accident site

The accident scene was strewn with the contents of both vehicles, a sign of how much energy was involved in the collision.  Hwy 67 had to be completely closed due to the large volume of debris that resulting from the accident.  The closed freeway provided the ability for the fire and law enforcement crews to work safely while extricating the patients.  The road closure also allowed for a very close landing zone for Mercy Air 6.  It is rare to see a medical helicopter set down on a major interstate in San Diego County in the middle of rush hour traffic.  The helicopter, along with the seriousness of the accident, drew crowds of people to the side of the road to watch the incident.

One patient was extricated quickly and immediately transported by Santee Medic 4 to an area trauma center.  The other patient took longer to extricate so Mercy Air 6 was utilized to provide transport to the trauma center.  Once the patients were extricated and the incident was stabilized the California Highway Patrol took over the scene and began an accident investigation.

Mercy Air 6 set down on the closed portion of HWY 67

Photos / Video and Story by Captain Bernie Molloy

Early Morning Crash Closes Wildcat Canyon Rd.

Lakeside:

On the morning of April 20, 2014 (Easter Sunday), crews from the Lakeside Fire Protection District and Barona Fire were called to the scene of an early morning rollover traffic collision.  Initial reports from Heartland dispatch noted that there was a solo vehicle rollover with around 5 patients.  Several of the patients were reported to still be trapped in the vehicle which was on it's roof and possibly on fire. 

The vehicle came to rest on it's roof

Barona Engine 27 arrived on scene first and reported that the accident was just south of the 3.0 mile marker on Wildcat Canyon Road near Muth Valley Rd.  Engine 27 reported there were several patients and people around the vehicle, but there were none requiring extrication and vehicle was not on fire. It was confirmed that there was only one vehicle involved in the collision and that it had rolled over an unknown number of times.  Lakeside Engine 2 arrived on scene just after Engine 27 and began patient care with Lakeside Medic 2.

View 2014 Incident Map in a larger map

The traffic collision required that both lanes of Wildcat Canyon Road be closed so patient assessment and care could be carried out.  The California Highway Patrol arrived on scene and took over the establishment of the road closures, which allowed fire department crews to safely load the patients into the transporting medic units.

Transporting medic units getting a patient turnover from the on scene paramedics.

Bystanders on scene reported that at least two of the patients from the traffic collision had left the scene with other vehicles before any fire department resources arrived.  It was found that there were still two patients on scene that had to be transported to local trauma centers.  The patients were transported by Lakeside Medic 2 and Medic 3.

The damage to the vehicle is clearly visible after it has been flipped onto it's wheels.

After the patients were transported the vehicle was flipped onto it's wheels and the extent of the damage could be seen.  The roadway was covered in oil and fuel as a result of the damage the vehicle had sustained.

There were a large volume of fluids on the roadway as a result of the vehicle collision.

Crews assisted with the initial clean up but it was determined that the County Roads Department would have to come out with specialized equipment to complete the cleanup operations.  The CHP remained on the scene to wait for County Roads and conduct the accident investigation.

Preventing fluids from running off into the waterways is one of the tasks that has to be accomplished on an accident scene.

Photos by: FF/PM Steve Russo and Captain Bernie Molloy
Post by: Captain Bernie Molloy

Firefighters Rescue Injured Horseback Rider from River Bottom

El Monte Valley:

Firefighters from Lakeside were called Thursday April 10th, 2014 to assists a horseback rider who had been thrown from their horse.  The rider had reportedly been injured on the trail in the river bottom that runs through the El Monte Valley but the exact location was not known.  The San Diego Sheriff's Department assisted the fire department in trying to find the downed rider.  After a short time, the rider was located on the trail.

View 2014 Incident Map in a larger map


Crews from Lakeside Engine 2 and Medic 3 hiked into the scene and began rapid treatment of the patient.  Rescue 3 arrived just behind the other units to assist with extricating the patient off of the trail.  The Patient was carried out in full spinal precautions to M3.   Once in the ambulance the patient was transported to a local trauma center.

Firefighters from E2, M3, and Rescue 3 carry the injured rider out of the river bottom

The injured rider is loaded into M3 for transport to the trauma center

Photos by Captain Mark Grow
Story by Captain Bernie Molloy

"Valley" and "Dunbar" Incidents

Shortly before 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 26, 2013, firefighters from multiple agencies were dispatched to reports of a vegetation fire along eastbound Interstate 8 just east of Greenfield Drive.  Initial reports stated the fire was about 1 acre in size  with a slow rate of spread.  Minutes later the fire grew rapidly as the wind picked up and pushed it up the hill toward homes on Lotus Ln.  Firefighters quickly responded to the area to defend homes.  Along with the air support from the firefighting helicopters and the quick deployment of fire crews into the area, no homes were lost and no one was hurt.  Firefighters worked well into the night to contain the fire and several fire crews remained on scene overnight to monitor the area.  The fire was estimated to be about 30 acres and the cause is still under investigation.

At the same time the Valley fire was being dispatched, another fire was reported along the right shoulder of eastbound Interstate 8 just before Dunbar Ln.  Multiple agencies were dispatched to this location at the same time as the Valley fire.  Both incidents shared the air resources and had quick action from ground crews to stop the forward progress and contain the fires without injuries or homes being lost.  The size of the Dunbar incident is unknown and is also under investigation.

Units from the Lakeside Fire Protection District on these incidents were Engine 2, Engine 3, Engine 26, Brush 1, Water Tender 7251, and Chiefs 4101, 4103, and 4105.

Other agencies were Cal Fire, El Cajon, Santee, U.S. Forest Service, Alpine, and Barona Fire.

Story and Photos By: Engineer Matt Buzzell

Lakeside Fire Working Vegetation Fire near Los Coches and Interstate 8

Lakeside:

At approximately 11:17 on August 17, 2013 Lakeside Units along with Units from CalFire and Heartland Fire are in the process of working a vegetation fire in the area of Los Coches Rd. and Interstate 8.  The fire is located on the south side of the freeway and moving into the areas of La Cresta Rd.  Residents in the area should be aware that there will be a large number of fire suppression vehicles on the streets in this area.

View 2013 Incident Map in a larger map


To listen to the radio traffic from the fire you can hear it here:

http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/9733/web


More updates will be posted as information becomes available.

UPDATE:

The forward progress of the fire has been stopped.  There will be extensive mop up operations continuing for several hours.

Morning Rollover Accident on Interstate 8

Lakeside:

Firefighters were called on the morning of Friday May 31, 2013 to reports of a rollover accident on Westbound Interstate 8.  The accident, which involved a white van that had rolled over, was found on the shoulder of the westbound lane just east of Lake Jennings Park Road.

The van came to rest on it's wheels

El Cajon Fire Battalion 3 was the first resource on scene, followed quickly by Lakeside E2.  When arriving at scene it was found that the vehicle had only one occupant.  M3 arrived and assisted E2 with patient care.  The driver of the vehicle sustained moderate injuries and was transported to an area trauma center.  The cause of the accident is under investigation by the CHP.

View 2013 Incident Map in a larger map


Story and Photos by Captain Bernie Molloy

Firefighters Battle Blaze in Wrecking Yard

Lakeside: Firefighters were called today, February 25, 2013, to the 15200 block of Olde Hwy 80 for reports of several cars on fire in a wrecking yard.  As units left their stations there were several reports of a large column of smoke being visible from far away.  E26 was the first arriving unit, reporting there was a large area of fire and heavy smoke coming from the center of the wrecking yard.  E26 did a "driveway lay" into the yard and advanced into the property to investigate what exactly was on fire.  E2, which was the next unit to arrive, attached to E26's hose lay and advanced it to a hydrant 500 feet up the road.  This would ultimately be one of the 3 supply lines that were deployed on the fire.


 
E26 made their way into the middle of the property and found a large pile of wrecked vehicles that were engulfed in flame.   Adjacent the pile of vehicles there was a large container, roughly the size of a semi truck trailer, filled with used tires that were also on fire.  The fire load was extremely large so there was a great deal of smoke being produced when crews arrived.
As engines began arriving it was clear that this would be an operation that would require a tremendous quantity of water to suppress the fire.  Flowing simultaneously on this fire were two deck guns (capable of over 1,000 gpm each), the aerial from Santee Truck 4,  two 2.5” hoselines and two 1.75” line.  This collection of attack lines and devices were putting over 3,000 gallons of water per minute onto the fire, and it was still not going out quickly.
Once much of the fire had been knocked down it was decided that the best way to get at the remaining fire was to use tractors to pluck the cars off the pile, putting them down somewhere crews could extinguish them.  This went on for several hours as the fire slowly went out. This fire shows how effective the automatic aid agreements we have in place are.



The agencies involved were: Lakeside Fire, El Cajon Fire, Santee Fire, Alpine Fire, Cal Fire, San Diego County HazMat, San Diego City Fire HazMat the CHP and SDSO.  Some of these agencies were involved because of their proximity at the time of dispatch, others were involved because of their specialized training.  Working together with several agencies seamlessly is something fire agencies in San Diego County do better than almost anywhere else in the world.



This fire did not result in any injuries to civilians or firefighters.  It was determined that the areas immediately surrounding the fire should be evacuated to ensure the public’s safety.  Once the fire was extinguished all of the employees at the surrounding companies were able to return.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Story and Video by Captain Bernie Molloy
Photos By Engineer Shawn McKenna

Early Morning Fire Displaces Family

Lakeside:

On February 22, 2013, firefighters responded to an early morning report of a residential structure fire in the 10000 block of River Street in Lakeside. Lakeside Engine 2, which was the closest unit to the fire, reported smoke showing from their station as they were responding to the incident. Firefighters immediately knew there would be a substantial fire given that smoke was visible from this far away. When E2 arrived a few minutes later they reported they were on scene at a single family occupancy with heavy smoke and fire showing from the front of the building.

The structure after the main fire had been contained

Lakeside E1 and M2 arrived just behind E2 and assisted pulling off hoselines to begin a rapid attack on the fire. Additional resources begin arriving at the scene to assist in the fire attack, including El Cajon Battalion 3, Santee Engine 4, Santee Truck 4 and Lakeside Engine 3 and Lakeside Battalion 1.  This incident, like all other incidents in east county, received the closest units to the address at the time of the fire.  

Hoselines entering through the window

When a fire is dispatched at this time of the morning fire crews primary concern is that there maybe occupants in in the home.  Overnight fires tend to catch residents asleep in their beds so their reaction is slower to the fire, especially if there are no smoke detectors in the home.  When crews arrived at this fire  the first priority was rescuing any occupation that may be home. At this fire, however, there was so much fire coming from the building that it had to be knocked down before crews could make entry.  Once inside the structure teams were able to conduct a primary search for people in the building. The SDSO was  on scene by this point and had tied-in with the Incident commander to confirm that the family had been accounted for and was out of the structure. Unfortunately, a family pet did succumb to the fire.

The extent of the burning can be seen in this picture

The progress of the fire was stopped quickly after the engine companies arrived on scene but there was extensive damage done to the structure. Due to the lath and plaster construction of this occupancy there was expensive overhaul involved in making sure that all of the hidden fires within the structure were put out.  

The cause of the fire, as reported by several media outlets, was a space heater in one of the front bedroom of the home.  This fire displaced one family and a family pet died in the blaze.  One of the residents of the home was transported to an area hospital for assessment.

The structure after all overhaul was completed

Photos and Story By: Captain Bernie Molloy

Media coverage of the incident with fire footage:

GARAGE FIRE IN SANTEE

Tuesday February 12, 2013 units from the Lakeside Fire Protection District assisted the Santee Fire department with a garage fire in a condominium complex at the north end of the city.  The dispatch was shortly before 7am and Lakeside Division Chief 4106 was on scene first and reported a well involved garage fire.  Santee Truck 4 was the next unit on scene followed closely by Lakeside Engine Company #2.  By the time Truck 4 made access to the garage to start the fire attack, Engine 2 had secured a water source and stretched attack lines to the front of the garage and were able to knock down the fire before it extend into any of the homes.  No one was injured and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Units on scene: Santee Truck 4, Engine 5, Rescue 5, Medic 5, 4201, 4202, and 4203.  Lakeside units at scene were Engine 2, Engine 1, and 4106.