Potrero is burning, town evacuated (Blackwater proposed site)

Source: eyewitness accounts

A devastating wildfire is burning in Potrero, California, the town where Blackwater wants to open up a private military training base. A recall election against town planners who approved Blackwater is slated for December 11, with ballots for the vote-by-mail election arriving in early November.

I'm reporting for a weekly newspaper here and drove up there early this afternoon. I got as far as Barrett Junction, just over the ridge from Potrero, when fire exploded over the mountaintop and they ordered us to evacuate.


Things sounded bleak for Potrero. A Border Patrol Agent told me the town could not be saved; he was just there and said everything was in flames.

This evening, however, I spoke with Jan Hedlun, the planner who has led the fight against Blackwater. She is safe, for now, as is Carl Meyer, who organized the recall election. At least one resident is dead, several homes have burned, and the Post Office burned to the ground. (Since most voters have rural delivery service and many pick up mail at the Post Office, this complicates the election to say the least). Local news reports indicate four firefighters were seriously injured as well.

The fire is now over 5,000 acres and the evacuation area encompasses 425 acres. The wildfire is only 5% contained.

A second fire in nearby Ramona is even worse, 8,000 acres, fanned by hurricane-force Santa Ana winds. Several nearby cities including San Diego have been warned that the fire is burning in their direction. San Diego County has been declared a disaster area.

Townspeople have contended that Blackwater's plans for live fire in a brushy box canyon would heighten the risk of fire. We know see how terrible a fire starting in Potrero can be. Cause of the fire is under investigation, and some Potrero residents have voiced suspicion over who might benefit most from having the town burned down just weeks before a recall election. In fairness, Blackwater West VP Brian Bonfiglio told me that Blackwater's planned 35,000 gallon water tanks would be a benefit to the community in battling future wildfires.

The County of San Diego has just approved a controversial "Shelter in place" fire policy (which would apply to Blackwater, excusing them and other developers from having to build a secondary access road to evacuate in case of fire). Shelter in place is being applied tonight to residents of Tecate, just south of Potrero.

I pray we will not learn of a holocast in Tecate come morning, and that these winds will die down before thousands of people lose their homes, as happened during the Cedar Fire here in 2003. I can smell the smoke now, though my home is many miles from the blaze--for now.



No link yet.

Shelter in place, huh? With a wildfire raging? That's nuts!

Bunkers at least 10 ft underground, with self contained life support and power systems. A wild fire can take a few hours to burn past, and in a Santana condition, you can never be sure that it won't come right back a day later if it's not contained.

Still, scary thought. A paramilitary corporation having bunkers to ride out a wild fire. And I'm sure they'll let the locals and CDF share space in the case of a rapid wildfire overtaking the area, like good, responsible members of the community they'll be.
:sarcasm:

Haele

But there are no underground bunkers planned, just structures built to meet fire codes with sprinklers and some other protection measures.

Just a comment - fire code will just slow down the time it takes the building to go down in a wild fire. The way embers get blown around and the heat and hurricane winds, there's still a good 10 - 20% chance of being trapped in a burning building - even with sprinklers. Once a building catches, in a windswept, high temperature fire, it's very difficult to control - insulation, plaster, paint, paneling, plastic - all of those can burn, and even worse, will put out toxic fumes that can disorient or cause people exposed to pass out while they burn.
I've seen it happen - even a steel ship with sprinklers will burn to the waterline.

Haele

I would not want to be in a box canyon when one of these firestorms swept through.

Sorry to make light of such a terrible situation, but I couldn't resist.
O8)

Heck of a way to swat down a recall election.

They want it - They WILL get it.

Nice and detailed and all the pertinent info one could want.

Nothing like the silly ass one line paragraphs which say nothing that comprises most stories on news sites these days.

Please keep yourself and yours safe Liberty Belle.

so this is far from over.

In an eerie coincidence, I also covered a candidate recruitment meeting for the local Democratic Party today. Ironically, two survivors of the Cedar Fire were making their announcement of plans to run for the County Board of Supervisors against Dianne Jacob - making fire protection a top issue.

The two candidates are Rudy Reyes, who was burned over 65% of his body in the Cedar Fire, and Mark Hanson, who lost his home and founded a charity that raised money to help others rebuild their lives after the worst wildfire in California history. For them and many here, today's events are the worst sort of Deja Vu.

And no more fire hazard if everything is burned to the ground.

Very interesting. :tinfoilhat:

The fire started at Santa Ysabel and is burning to the west, toward Poway. Poway Schools will be closed tomorrow due to air quality.

Ramona is where the Cedar Fire started, and by morning it had burned into Scripps Ranch and jumped across I-15 into central San Diego.

There is more fire fighting equipment here, but smoke and winds are impeding firefighting efforts.

Now with nightfall, I don't think the planes can takeoff. We are at the mercy of the winds, which are over 55 mph.

Altogether, 10 fires are burning in southern California.

Conditions here are tinderbox-dry after years of drought. We are seeing the impact of global warming with these terrible fires, just as the climate change experts predicted.

They COULDN'T.

Would they? Could they?

DID they?

Dayum.

plausible because the Santa Ana winds were very bad today, hurricane force in some parts of the County, fire officials told me.

There are now 10 fires in southern California.

San Pasqual is being evacuated late tonight (where the Wild Animal Park is) along with portions of Poway and all of Ramona. Roads are clogged and some residents in Ramona may be trapped.

Fire officials now say this may be worse than the Cedar Fire, God help us all because that nearly burned the whole city to the sea.

And of course it isn't. But it's unlikely that'll ever be proven :(
now that everything has been flattened by fires, bw will have an easier time getting 'permission' to build their base.

god save us please!

...although I think that's what I was getting the Zaca Fire news from in the summer.

This is altogether bad news. We need RAIN.

Hekate

AND Congressional hearings.

Blackwater must be stopped.

What About Julian, CA? Was there anything left from fires in years past?

but Ramona was harder hit, still checkerboarded. Fire picked up steam heading west and did major damage in urban areas- Rancho Bernardo, Poway, and the ritzy comunities of Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Rancho today. Tonight, solana Beach is evacuated to the sea.

also fires in the South Bay, Mexico, and still the Potrero blaze in East County.

Our county is one giant inferno!

Huge swath of evacuations west to I-5
6:24 a.m.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for a huge swath totaling 100 square miles and ranging from Interstate 5 on the west across Interstate 15 to the east, and north from state Route 56 to Lake Hodges, said San Diego fire department spokesman Maurice Luque.
Flames penetrated Rancho Bernardo from the northeast beginning around 3:30 a.m., and have jumped Interstate 15 at Carmel Valley Road, Luque said.

An undetermined number of homes are burning and there are reports of people trapped in their homes and cars, Luque said.

The flames are threatening to burn into Rancho Santa Fe, Luque said.

Residents can seek shelter at any of the designated high schools or Qualcomm Stadium, Luque said.

A force of 240 firefighters with 60 engines are trying to stop the blaze from advancing farther through the area. Ambulances are in the area to help the elderly and ill who cannot evacuate themselves, he said.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/fireblog/index.html

Mayor Sanders was just on TV saying Qualcom Stadium is being opened as an evacuation area.

It is quite frightening. I'm in coastal San Diego, and am safe.

Take care all.

I can't find any info this morning but my Mom said she heard the town is surrounded. I have friends there who defied evacuation orders and am very concerned about this this a.m.

And a new fire in Mexico, a fire official just told me, 10-15 miles south of the border. God help us all, we are surrounded by fire.

Let's just tell the religious right that this is a sign form god, warning them what will happen if Blackwater maniacs are allowed to build on the site.

I have near and dear friends in Malibu. The stench from the fire is horrible. They have their animals in cages ready to run at a moment's notice, if the wind or fire shifts.

In America, at least. Been happening in Iraq for awhile.

Two New York businessmen meet by chance in Miami:

Irv: Morrie!! By God it is good to see you. The last I heard you were up to your neck in debt, your business was failing, what happened.

Morrie: Ah! The luck would have it, my building caught on fire. The insurance paid off all my debts, and I am now a wealthy man. And you, Irv, I heard you were also in financial trouble.

Irv: Yes, but my warehouse was destroyed by a flood, all of my inventory destroyed. The insurance paid well, and I am set for life.

Morrie: Irv, I have to ask you something---

Irv: Yes, my friend---

Morrie: Irv, how do you start a flood.

I'm 20+ miles from the Santiago Canyon/Orange fire
here in OC.

The smoke/soot is very heavy and we have to keep the windows shut.

Let's pray the winds die down or shift back on burned areas and kill the fires.

I am on Mt Helix in La Mesa; can see flames and smoke from the Otay Fire to the south, still a long way away. La Mesa and El Cajon are about the only places in East County not evacuated; and much of San Diego city and North County are also in flames.

Over 300,000 people evacuated so far, and more to come. Winds over 60 mph tonight here, and the fire is zero percent contained.

his condo in Rancho Bernardo, yesterday. The building
he works in came within one mile of the Witch fire.
We are awaiting word to hear if he has a home
to return to.

Stay safe, Liberty.
These damn winds are so unpredictable.

:pals:

Trapped in your homes while a catastrophe of biblical proportions displaces or wipes out every living thing...
God help you if your citizens are rounded up and put into "camps" for "their own protection".

Stay safe, everyone.

The number of evacuees are just as shocking. Your comment about the camps is haunting--where else would you put internally displaced persons now that FEMA formaldehyde trailers have been exposed? It'd be for their own health and safety, really. :grr:

How many corporations are going to be using the aftermath as an excuse to Katrina the hell out of South California I wonder.

almost gale-force winds

This, for folks not in CA, is what the Santa Ana winds are... fierce, incredibly dry winds, that sap the moisture out of everthing.

breaking news (10:30 am feed from Sacto Bee): Authorities say wildfires in California have forced evacuations of nearly 250,000 people from their homes in San Diego County.

:cry:

These fires are so terrible. CNN reported early this am about Shangrila, but did not follow up. Do you have info about this? Are the big cats safe? Any info would be appreciated. Stay safe!

Wild Animal Park has escaped harm, for now. Some endangered species were evacuated; other animals can take shelter in moats and enclosures if fire comes close.

Now that the population is on the run, and the PO is gone, someone's going to be getting a great deal on real estate. Someone who'd like lots of land and a fair bit of isolation, someone who maybe would like to set up their own company town, someone with a lot of money to blow, who doesn't really give two shits about the scenery...

Quite a coincidence, really.

...somebody wanted to "clear out" the people who are in opposition to Blackwater moving in?