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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES | FALL 1996
Winds of Fire | How did it happen? | Evidence sought amid the ashes; new fires feared
Kelly Thornton
STAFF WRITER
24-Oct-1996 Thursday

Harmony Grove, CA (North San Diego) -- The flames that seared hearts and homes this week were mostly tamed yesterday, as despondent victims resolved to get on with their lives and investigators sifted through soot-covered rubble looking for answers.

They were trying to determine whether it was a careless smoker, a border crosser's campfire, sparks from a car or malicious arsonists that sparked the four wind-whipped firestorms that charred 24,435 acres and, in the North County, destroyed 120 houses, damaged 122 and injured six people.

The grim financial picture so far: at least $18 million in property damage and $2 million in firefighting costs, with the numbers expected to increase substantially as officials take inventory.

And despite yesterday's respite, forecasters predicted a second wave of Santa Ana winds this weekend, prompting firefighters to brace for yet another battle with nature.

"Oh, gosh, here we go again," said Rancho Santa Fe Fire Chief Erwin Willis. "We're putting on extra dispatchers and extra firefighters for the weekend. But first, we're going to take advantage of the lull and give our people a rest."

Hundreds of firefighters were briefed about the weather forecast yesterday morning. Many were resigned to a speedy return to the fire lines.

"We're hoping to go home tonight and get a good night's sleep in our own beds," said San Marcos fire engineer Jay Butler. "It would not be at all unlikely" for fires to rage again over the weekend, he said.

That's because the fire hazard in the county is far from over, warned meteorologist Dan Atkin of the National Weather Service. Forecasters expect a return of strong, dry winds this weekend, building up to 20 to 30 mph in some parts of the county by Sunday.

The westerly gusts are expected to drop humidity levels to the low teens, something that only happens about six times a year, Atkin said. And the dry air and strong winds could stir up any embers still burning on the ground from the fires this week, he warned.

President Clinton declared portions of California, including San Diego County, a disaster area yesterday because of the wildfires. The action makes federal funds available to the communities suffering from the destruction.

Meanwhile, fire investigators were interviewing witnesses and searching for evidence in their efforts to determine the causes of the fires. In all cases, the fires appear to be suspicious in nature.

"We haven't drawn any conclusions yet on any of the fires," said Steven Robertson, chief law enforcement officer for the California Department of Forestry. He said all the fires probably were man-caused, but whether by arson or accident remains to be seen.

"Ultimately we may reach the conclusion we just don't know," Robertson said. "The most difficult part of fire investigation probably is not so much determining where and how it started, but who started it. You can't interview property."

The Harmony Grove fire, the blaze that tore across the North County, was the most destructive fire to hit San Diego County in 25 years. It began Monday afternoon and spewed embers up to a quarter-mile away on its 7-mile path of destruction to the eastern edge of Carlsbad, blackening a total of 8,600 acres.

It was fully contained, meaning firefighters had encircled the flames and could prevent them from spreading, at 6 p.m. last night. It was expected to be out by 6 p.m. today.

Dozens of Red Cross volunteers walked through the ravaged neighborhoods of Carlsbad, Valley Center and San Marcos yesterday, trying to assess the damage.

At least 98 structures valued at $15.5 million were lost, four firefighters suffered minor injuries and two civilians were hurt. At the height of the blaze, 1,060 firefighters battled the inferno.

The fire, which began near the side of Harmony Grove Road about two miles west of Country Club Drive, could have been ignited by a tossed cigarette or by sparks from an exhaust pipe on dry brush, officials said.

But sources said investigators suspect the fire was the work of an arsonist. Last June and on a handful of other occasions, arsonists started fires in the same area.

The fires' most serious burn victim, David L. Hammond, 42, of Elfin Forest, remained in critical condition yesterday. Flames had swept over him as he fled from his car after it became engulfed by fire near his home on Fortuna del Norte Monday afternoon.

Sheriff's deputies Rich Williams and Angela Tsuida saw Hammond being led out of the flaming countryside by four unidentified men. "Those guys are the heroes," Williams said. "The victim had burns to his face, his legs, lower body and his hair was still smoking."

Williams said they realized an ambulance wouldn't be able to reach them on Fortuna del Sur near Elfin Forest Road, so the two deputies loaded him into their patrol car and sped through a wall of flames to get him to paramedics about three miles away. From there, Hammond was flown to the hospital.

Hammond's wife told the deputies yesterday that her husband underwent surgery earlier in the day and was doing well. Their home also survived, Williams said.

The week's largest blaze was the wildfire that blackened 14,000 remote acres on Otay Mountain Tuesday. It was reduced to a smoldering set of smaller blazes yesterday as fire crews encircled it. The fire destroyed three radio towers atop the 4,000-foot peak -- the stations were valued at $2.5 million -- but didn't touch any buildings.

The fire was 50 percent contained yesterday afternoon; fire officials could not say when they expect it to be extinguished.

Investigators said the fire was probably started by an illegal immigrant's campfire.

"The most probable cause based on the history is probably an unattended campfire that came back to life," said the CDF's Robertson.

At a news conference with Rep. Brian Bilbray yesterday, county Supervisor Dianne Jacob renewed her sharp criticism of what she called the federal government's failure to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, saying the Otay Mountain fire is the latest example of how a steady flow of immigrant traffic has harmed the region.

Jacob said there have been 322 fires sparked by undocumented immigrant campfires so far this year along the East County's border region, compared with 24 fires reported in 1994 before Operation Gatekeeper was enacted to curtail illegal immigration on the western strip of border.

"Our East County back country is being trashed, trampled and burned by at least 3,000 illegal aliens a day (coming) across our border," Jacob said.

She said the Otay Mountain fire diverted valuable resources -- 386 firefighters, 20 engines, nine air tankers, five helicopters, three bulldozers and three water tenders -- that could have been used to fight other blazes.

As she spoke, helicopters filled the air over Otay Mountain, dropping water and fire retardant on the smaller fires while about 400 firefighters on the ground worked to create firebreaks -- areas clear of flammable brush -- in the blaze's path.

Border Patrol agents said they found about a half-dozen exhausted but unharmed border crossers who had spent the night on the mountain dodging the flames. They were detained and were to be returned to Mexico.

The only casualties in the fire were six cows trapped by flames, said rancher Jerry Adams, who leases land on the mountain from the federal Bureau of Land Management.

"It could have been much worse, I guess," Adams said yesterday as he surveyed the area. "It was burning pretty good, and I could have lost all my 180 head of cattle."

Two smaller blazes that also taxed firefighters in the North County are also under control. The Rincon fire, which burned 1,800 acres, was contained by 6 p.m. yesterday. Six buildings -- including four houses in Valley Center -- were reduced to nothing despite the efforts of the 100 firefighters who fought the fire since Monday. No injuries were reported.

And a fire near Palomar College forced the evacuation of 6,000 students and some apartment buildings Tuesday night, but fast-acting firefighters descended within minutes and had the blaze out within three hours; it claimed only 35 acres of thick brush. Investigators said that fire appears to be the work of an arsonist.

"There are no power lines, no vehicles, no migrant camps," said San Marcos Battalion Chief Tom Dana. "There was no reason for a fire to start there."

People in fire-ravaged areas were slowly making efforts toward normalcy yesterday. A spokesman for San Diego Gas & Electric Co. said power was restored by 4 a.m. yesterday to all houses not destroyed or damaged in the blaze. However, at least one small pocket of homes in the Elfin Forest near Questhaven Road was without electricity yesterday afternoon, residents said.

The U.S. Postal Service reported that deliveries were made on all routes yesterday after a disruption in service to about 4,000 customers on Tuesday. The only people not getting their mail were those whose homes were destroyed. Officials said they can pick up their mail at their local post office.

There were no confirmed reports of looting.

Copyright Union-Tribune Publishing Co.

*Location and bold-type in article added for clarification. See actual San Diego Union-Tribune archived article.