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Fire Forces Mass Evacuation
By Ruth
Lepper
Thousands fled Ramona on Oct. 21 as flames from an out-of-control wildfire
was headed in this direction. Officials estimated 35,000 residents left town en
route to homes of families or friends. Many others went to evacuation centers or
found refuge in public areas such as parking lots.
The fire started about
12:30 p.m. Sunday in the Witch Creek area, about half-way between Ramona and
Santa Ysabel. Extreme Santa Ana conditions caused the flames to spread quickly.
It has now caused flare-ups in Julian, Escondido, Valley Center, Fallbrook,
Rancho Santa Fe and Palomar Mountain. The cause of the fire remains under
investigation.
Figures for the Ramona area were not available but
overall, the county has lost 1,000 homes and structures from the Witch Creek
fire and the Harris fire, which is burning in East County and has spread to
South County. One death from the Harris fire has been confirmed, along with at
least 22 injuries.
Air tankers and helicopters were grounded, due to the
high winds, until Tuesday afternoon. Fires continued to burn in the Mount
Woodson and Highland Valley areas on Tuesday night.
Fires also were
reported in the Julian area on Tuesday, causing a mass evacuation. Residents
were advised to go to Borrego Springs High School. Residents from Palomar
Mountain also were sent to Borrego Springs High School.
Ramona residents
were first sent to Poway High School, which was later evacuated and those
staying there sent to Mira Mesa High School. Qualcomm Stadium also was open to
evacuees.
Ramona Unified School District closed on Monday and now all
school districts in the county are closed for the remainder of the
week.
California Highway Patrol has closed all roads leading into Ramona.
Residents still needing to evacuate will have access to the highways going out
of town. By Tuesday, there were 312 officers on duty, working 12-hour shifts to
assist with traffic control for the two fires. An additional 62 officers are on
the scene from Northern California.
Public Information Officer
Brian Penning said "everything looked OK" on Monday night, then, "All of a
sudden, the wind picked up." Conditions can change hour by hour, he
added.
Barona Reservation was engulfed on Monday night. The casino and
resort "was almost burned," Penning said. Firefighters from as far away as
Colorado were expected to arrive in the county on Tuesday.
Local
businesses remain closed in Ramona with the exception of the major grocery
stores. No businesses were reported damaged by the fire. CHP is allowing
trucks delivered food or gasoline into Ramona.
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