The County will seek to provide fire protection and emergency services to three chunks of unincorporated East County that are currently not served by any fire agency or district.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to include an additional 21,048 acres and estimated 148 homes in San Diego County Fire’s territory, bringing County Fire’s total coverage area to well over 1.5 million acres of unincorporated San Diego County. This is the latest major upgrade made under County Fire, which launched in 2008 to unify and improve emergency fire and medical services in the region.
The action will ensure that the County can better protect and serve the public, said Herman Reddick, group program manager for San Diego County Fire.
The newest areas to be added to County Fire are referred to as “islands” 2, 3 and 4, meaning that they are bordered by other fire districts but not covered when it comes to fire services. Initially, these areas were not included in other districts’ coverage areas because they consist of undeveloped, wildland area. But homes are now located in two of the three areas and they remain uncovered by any particular fire district.
Of the 148 homes, most sit in 12,090-acre island No. 2, located off state Route 67 between Ramona, Lakeside, Poway, San Diego and Santee. An estimated 226 residents live in 85 homes in that area. Another 229 residents live in 63 homes on island No. 3’s 3,786 acres, located south of Interstate 8 and between Alpine, Lakeside, Harbison Canyon and the Flinn Springs area. Island No. 4, meanwhile, consists of 5,163 acres of undeveloped land situated between Chula Vista, Spring Valley and Campo. Most of emergency calls to this island relate to wildland fire, hiking or biking accidents.
If approved by the Local Agency Formation Commission, the changes in coverage are expected to take effect later this year.
