The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on Tuesday to approve a proposal to improve the county’s preparedness for wildfires. “It only takes a spark, a downed power line or a stray ember carried by Santa Ana winds or a sudden shift in the weather can turn a quiet afternoon into catastrophe,” said County Supervisor Jim Desmond during a news conference before Tuesday’s meeting.
Rain that arrived late Saturday in San Diego County brought with it cautious optimism as officials removed most evacuation orders and warnings in the Border 2 fire area. Cal Fire officials said the Border 2 fire, which began Wednesday, was 6,225 acres in size and 40% contained as of Sunday evening. Officials credited the wet weather — a little less than half an inch of rain fell in the area — with helping firefighters make progress on containment.
It only takes one spark. A downed power line, a stray ember carried by the wind or a sudden shift in the weather can turn a quiet afternoon into a disaster. We’ve seen it before. The wildfires of 2003 and 2007 devastated San Diego County, destroying thousands of homes, displacing families and leaving a lasting mark on our region. These fires weren’t just tragedies — they were hard lessons. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, we can never afford to be complacent.
With winds dying down on Friday throughout San Diego County and a ridge of high pressure moving out, we will see some major changes in the weekend forecast that include a significant drop in temperatures, cloudier skies, and, yes, a good chance for some light to moderate rain and snow in our local mountains. The chance for rain comes after Southern California has been pelted with Santa Ana winds for winds and wildfires have sparked up across the region.
A Coast Highway 101 sign business owner who serves on the Olivenhain Water District board will become Encinitas’ newest City Council member. The council on Wednesday voted 3-1, with Councilmember Joy Lyndes opposed, to pick Marco San Antonio out of eight applicants seeking to fill the new mayor’s former council seat. He can be formally sworn into his new job at the Feb. 12 council meeting after he resigns from the water board, City Clerk Kathy Hollywood said.
A seventy-year-old stalwart is getting a much-needed makeover. The San Diego County Water Authority is working to upgrade the historic First Aqueduct to deliver safe and reliable water supplies for the region.
SAN DIEGO – Dry vegetation and strong winds elevated critical fire weather conditions across Southern California on Wednesday keeping the blaze-weary region on high alert as firefighters gained a foothold on several infernos and prepared for rain this weekend. Red flag warnings were in effect until Thursday night for parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Diego counties due to low humidity and an expected uptick in Santa Ana winds, according to the National Weather Service.
The Ramona Municipal Water District was notified it will receive a $227,000 grant to address cybersecurity issues and also recently completed a major overhaul of one of its two water reclamation plants, officials announced. The water district learned Christmas Eve that the state Office of Emergency Services had selected its cybersecurity proposal for funding through the 2021 State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act, officials said.
As wildfires rage in Los Angeles County and gusty Santa Anas sweep the region, residents near Lake Hodges say the scene is all too familiar.
“We’re all a little bit on edge as you can tell. The winds you’re feeling today are very similar to the winds that brought the fire down from Ramona and brought it through Lake Hodges,” said Robert Dudley, a resident near the lake.
The Santa Ana winds that led San Diego Gas & Electric to shut off power to more than 5,900 customers on Tuesday are now reaching their peak and come amid dangerously low relative humidity across critically dry San Diego County, the National Weather Service says.
