East County Magazine

Deer mouse tests positive for Hantavirus in Rancho Cuyamaca State Park
Printer-friendly version By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office October 29, 2025 (Cuyamaca) — A deer mouse collected in routine monitoring Oct. 22 at the Los Vaqueros Group Horse

County launches new Alert San Diego app, replacing SD Emergency
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service Oct. 24, 2025 (San Diego County) — The name and look of the emergency information app for the County of San Diego has changed,

Inmate firefighters get pay raise under bill signed by Governor
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Image: Inmate firefighter; cc via Bing October 14, 2025 (Sacramento) – They risk their lives to battle wildfires. Yet California’s inmate firefighters are currently paid just

County approves purchase of firefighting helicopter with nighttime capabilities
Printer-friendly versionBy Paul Levikow October 21, 2025 (San Diego) — The San Diego County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved the purchase of a firefighting helicopter with nighttime capabilities, which will

Evacuations lifted in Rancho Fire
Printer-friendly version East County Wildfire & Emergency Alert Service Photo, right: Rancho Fire viewed from Julian, by Nancy Kramer October 9, 2025 (Ramona) – Evacuations have been lifted in the

Crest achieves Firewise USA® recognition, a communitywide commitment to wildfire preparedness
Printer-friendly versionBy Diana Griffin October 8, 2025 (Crest) — Every year, devastating wildfires sweep across the United States, threatening homes, landscapes, and lives. As more people live in wildfire-prone areas,

Charging your devices: Safety steps can prevent lithium-ion fires
Printer-friendly versionBy Yvette Urrea Moe, County of San Diego Communications Office Miriam Raftery, East County Magazine contributed to this report Photo: firefighters purposely overloaded a lithium-ion battery to show what can

Supervisor Joel Anderson and Sheriff Kelly Martinez to host Wildfire Safety Town Hall in Ramona on Monday, Oct. 6
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service Photo, L-R: CalFire Chief Tony Mecham, Sheriff Kelly Martinez, & Supervisor Joel Anderson October 3, 2025 (Ramona) – San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson and

Trump threatens to fire workers amid shutdown; Newsom says shutdown has halted critical wildfire programs in peak fire season
Printer-friendly versionHealthcare premiums will double for millions of Americans if Republicans don’t renew subsidies By Alexander J. Schorr Photo: Cedar Fire in October, 2003 burned over 276,000 acres, destroyed 2,232
Chief’s Corner: Charge into Safety National Fire Prevention Week Oct 6th
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LEMON GROVE NONPROFITS UNITE FOR LOS ANGELES FIRE RELIEF FUNDRAISER
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service February 10, 2025 (Lemon Grove) – On Saturday, February 1, the spirit of community and compassion was on full display as Lemon Grove nonprofit organizations joined

STATE FARM ASKS FOR MORE INSURANCE RATE INCREASES AFTER LA FIRES
Printer-friendly versionBy Levi Sumagaysay, CalMatters CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters Photo: The Eaton Fire burns in the community

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: BORDER 2 FIRE
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service January 28, 2025 (Jamul) — Robert Hobbs sent in these images of the Border 2 Fire, which burned over 6,500 acres after starting on Otay

CAL FIRE HOLDS BORDER 2 FIRE TO 6,625 ACRES AS RAIN AIDS EFFORTS, BUT MUDSLIDES ARE POSSIBLE RISK
Printer-friendly versionBy Miriam Raftery Photo courtesy of Cal Fire Update January 30,2025 10 a.m.– All evacuation orders have been lifted. The fire is 100% contained. Update January 29, 2025 9

WATER CONSERVATION GARDEN OFFERS FREE HAVEN FOR BORDER FIRE EVACUEES AND PETS
Printer-friendly version East County News Service January 25, 2025 (Rancho San Diego, CA) — In light of the ongoing evacuations at the Border Fire, the Water Conservation Garden on the

SDG&E RESTORES POWER TO ALL CUSTOMERS AFTER HISTORIC WEATHER EXTREMES
Printer-friendly versionSource: SDG&E January 25, 2025 (SDG&E) – San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) announced this evening that power has been fully restored to all customers affected by recent Public

EVACUATION AREAS EXPAND IN BORDER FIRE; EVACUATION CENTER AT CUYAMACA COLLEGE
Printer-friendly version Update January 25, 2025- The fire had modest growth overnight and is now 6,500 acres, per Cal Fire. Update 8:15 p.m.– Per CalTrans, State Route 94 is closed

EVACUATIONS ORDERED AS BORDER 2 FIRE BURNS THOUSANDS OF ACRES
Printer-friendly version Update 12 p.m.: Cal Fire has mapped the fire at 5,389 acres. It remains 10% contained. View laetst evacuation areas, whcih have expanded, here: https://app.watchduty.org/i/41110 By Miriam Raftery January

BORDER 2 FIRE VISIBLE ACROSS COUNTY, STILL WITH NO CONTAINMENT
Printer-friendly version Update 8:46 p.m.– The fire is now 600 acres, per Watch Duty App. No structures are currently threatened. By Miriam Raftery Photo, left, by Jeff Caton, taken from

BORDER 2 FIRE ON OTAY MOUNTAIN SPREADING AT “DANGEROUS” RATE
Printer-friendly version Update 5:05 p.m.– The #Border2Fire is now 248 acres and still 0% contained. Winds have shifted toward campgrounds with campers at Pio Pico told to evacuate and Thousand
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