Sunday, June 19, 2016

BORDER/TECATE WILDFIRES — 1500 ACRES at 8:00 PM SUNDAY

Map of area(s) involved... per CHP Incident Log, IPN, CalFire, and other reports.  Blue line is the hard-closure area on SR-94.  Flag is Incident Command (IC). Campo Community Center is the Evacuation Staging Area
Two fires are burning in the same general area near Rte 188— the turnoff from 94 to Tecate. It is just west of the town of Potrero. Potrero is under mandatory evacuation orders, and people have been sent to evacuation centers. 

The Border Fire broke out about 11 AM this morning. It jumped 94 and by 12:20 residents along 94 from Potrero Valley to Emery were being notified to evacuate. A sigalert was issued and 94 was closed from 188 to Potrero. The fire continued jumping the road between Emery and 188 for the next couple of hours, and the 94 closure was moved from Potrero Valley Rd. to Harris Ranch Rd. The Command Post was established at the Potrero Fire Station. CHP reported "Absolutely no access to emergency services."

At 5:30 CHP called for signs to be posted at 94 and Otay Lakes Rd. advising drivers of the fire and hard closure of 94 in Potrero. Honey Springs or Otay Lakes Rd would be alternates. The 94 Eastbound closure is at Rt. 188, and CalTrans will be manning it overnight.

The Tecate Fire broke out about 2PM. By 4:20 the fire had burned about 500 acres north and south of the 94. This fire closed 94 between Emery and Harris Ranch Rd. "No exceptions thru the closures."





Signs up at the Junction— Jamacha and Campo (94), Otay Lakes Rd, I-8 at Buckmann Springs.  They warn traffic that 94 is closed through the fire area.  Kudos to CHP for placing signs where motorists still have time to take an alternate route.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREPARED IF WE LOSE POWER. HAVE A WATER SOURCE READY, HAVE CELLPHONES CHARGED, HAVE CAR KEYS HANDY.  WITH THE HIGH HEAT, TOMORROW IS ALREADY DESIGNATED A "FLEX DAY" WHERE WE CAN EXPECT TO HAVE POWER OUTAGES.