Suspicious fires briefly threaten Bonsall area homes

By: YVETTE URREA - Staff Writer | Saturday, June 16, 2007 10:47 PM PDT ∞

Golfers on the course in the Sycamore Ranch housing development pause Saturday afternoon to watch the nearby flames along Highway 76. The fire burned about 118 acres and threatened as many as two dozen homes before firefighters had it largely under control late in the day.
Photo Courtesy of MAUREEN TAYLOR

BONSALL ---- Firefighters herded a 118-acre brush fire of "suspicious" origin away from Monserate Hill homes and had it partially surrounded late Saturday in Bonsall, officials said.

The blaze was estimated to be 30 percent contained by 9 p.m., said North County Fire Protection District spokesman John Buchanan. Firefighters were to remain on the fire lines overnight, he said, and aircraft will return early today to continue extinguishing any hot spots.

The fire was the second to break out in the same general area Saturday. Firefighters' efforts were aided by high humidity and light breezes estimated at 10 mph or less.

Firefighters extinguished a 2 1/2-acre brush fire reported at 7:45 a.m. in the San Luis Rey riverbed to the south of Highway 76 off Via Monserate and Orange Hill, Buchanan said. Another fire broke out just after 1 p.m. about a quarter-mile east in the river bottom off Calle de Vuelta and Via Monserate, he said.

"Both fires are suspicious and under investigation," Buchanan said.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection investigator Gary Eidsmoe said it may have been a transient's campfire that got out of control, or it could have been something more deliberate.

"We're hoping it's not the same individual that lit the Oceanside fires," Eidsmoe said.

An arsonist set 43 fires in the San Luis Rey riverbed near Benet Road from mid-January through March 12. Detectives interviewed a transient who camped in the area, but were unable to charge him or anyone else with the fires.

Early on Saturday, firefighters thought they had a handle on the blaze they called the Vuelta fire, but it suddenly started igniting spots outside a fire-break line, causing firefighters to scramble to get it out, forestry fire dispatcher Denise Caster said.

At one point, firefighters worried the fire might take off up Monserate Hill, where one to two dozen homes dot the hillside, said fire Battalion Chief Don Stevens. Sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol officers went door to door warning residents to consider evacuating.

"It's not a mandatory evacuation, but it's highly, highly, highly recommended," Stevens said at the time. "It's as close to a mandatory evacuation as you can get."

Residents were told they could wait at a church off Highway 76, but no one showed up there, Fallbrook sheriff's Sgt. Ron McCracken said.

At the peak of the fire, there were 35 fire engines working with personnel that included Solana Beach and Poway firefighters, as well as six hand crews, a bulldozer, three helicopters, four air tankers and an air attack plane, Buchanan said.

By 7 p.m., firefighters were certain the homes were safe and were letting residents return to their homes as long as they did not try to get there on Highway 76, which remained closed at Mission Road and Old Highway 395 due to smoky conditions, a California Highway Patrol dispatcher said.

Fallbrook resident Lindsay Kanewischer, who showed up with her binoculars to watch firefighters, said the fire was not near her home, but it's a small community, and whenever there is any fire people get nervous.

She said they could see "big billowing smoke" near Gird Road.

"We were really worried about it jumping (Highway 76 to the north side)," Kanewischer said. "We just wanted to make sure it wasn't going to turn into a big deal."

Another resident, Meredith Coon, who lives on Alta Vista Drive, said he also came to see if there was any need to be concerned. Coon said he was in San Diego when the fire started and as he was driving up Interstate 15, he was worried it was his hill that was on fire at first.

Contact staff writer Yvette Urrea at (760) 901-4076 or yurrea@nctimes.com.

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Pre-Registration Comments[-]Go to Top

Just a thought wrote on Jun 16, 2007 3:29 PM:Could the Oceanside riverbottom arsonist moved east? Seems like there have been several fires in the Bonsall area recently, all in the riverbed.

Guess wrote on Jun 16, 2007 4:42 PM:Looks like the Oceanside riverbed arsonist may have moved east for the summer.

Huell wrote on Jun 16, 2007 6:56 PM: Thought it was De Luz on fire again....When I heard the bombing practice this morning from Camp Pendelton it usually happens.Every summer.

jdoceanside wrote on Jun 16, 2007 8:13 PM:I hope the fire investigators look for the same person resposible for the numerous fires in the san luis rey riverbed in oceanside recently. this seems to follow the same pattern of setting one fire then setting another one,, just a thought..need to get this person before anyone is hurt or loses a home...

David wrote on Jun 16, 2007 8:42 PM:The one earlier this week in Bonsall was from a mower. The last major fire, that started on Camp Pendleton, and spread to Deluz, was the Roblar II Fire, in October 2003. It would be inaccurate to say 'it usually happens every summer'.

J wrote on Jun 16, 2007 9:21 PM:Maybe its the same person who keeps setting the riverbottoms in Riverside County on fire also?? though that would take the 2 counties to actually communicate with one another and well need i say more.

La wrote on Jun 16, 2007 10:14 PM:76 is still closed as of 10pm Saturday the 16th. I can see from my back yard that all traffic on Via Monserate is being asked to turn around and go back. They are not given access to get on the 76. There is absolutely no traffice on the 76 outside my Sycamore home - it's so quiet - it's wonderful! When will this road be open?

DB wrote on Jun 16, 2007 10:26 PM:We live in Southern California people, believe it or not things burn and thats why we pay for fire protection. If you live in an urban interface area do you part to save your own home, clear you brush back from your house, have your home address clearly marked, have an evacuation plan in place and prepare yourself for yet ANOTHER fire season, in fact be ready ALL year because thats what fire season has become in So Cal. ALL YEAR. Don't wait until it's to late and then blame others for your losses. Vegitation fires have become part of our lives here yet people STILL aren't prepared, STILL don't remove brush from around their homes. Fire Officials again are predicting that THIS fire season is going to be devistating. Not that they predict MORE fires, they just predict that fires will get bigger faster due to drought, bug kill, frost kill, low humidity and high temps. We live in a powder keg; Be ready and be careful.

La wrote on Jun 16, 2007 11:20 PM:11:15pm Wind: SW at 6 mph. Pillar of bottom lit (fire) smoke assending straight up becuase of the low winds. Estimate the location to be East of Gird and the 76, smoke is filling the San Luis Rey river valley and surrounding hills including Sycamore Ranch. Breathing conditions poor.

Same ol' story wrote on Jun 17, 2007 9:33 AM:We hear the same story every year! "We had record rainfall this year which resulted in tons of new growth, so it's going to be a devastating fire season due to more fuels!" OR "We had a record dry season this year leaving the hillsides covered with tons of tinder dry brush, so it's going to be a devastating fire season due to drier fuels!" Same story, different year! It's over-hyped. Just because it's dry doesn't mean wildfires are going to spontaneously erupt! The fact is (as is the case here in this story) the vast majority of wildfires in Southern California are caused by people, whether intentionally or accidentally. They happen every year. Droughts and/or Santa Anas don't cause wildfires, idiots like this guy setting the riverbed fires do! To be frank, it's up to us how bad this fire season is. Be responsible, be smart when dealing with things like cigarettes, construction equipment, etc, and we'll have little to worry about. Sure we'll get the occasional lightning fire in the summer, but as long as people are responsible, we don't have much to fear. Unfortunately, I don't think it's that simple. The reality is there are way too many careless people out there, giving us all plenty of reasons to worry EACH and EVERY year, regardless of the "seasonal rainfall" or "fuel conditions."

Traffic Nightmare wrote on Jun 17, 2007 11:12 AM:looks like everyone has the same feeling that the river bug is at it again This is the second time in a week that traffic has been a nightmare due to these fires. Please, Please catch this guy before someone its hurt or dies!

JSten wrote on Jun 17, 2007 11:24 AM:A wildfire is just as likely from those knotheads that throw their lit cigarettes from their cars while driving through the area. We see them every day, so its just a matter of time before one of the m catches. You dont need some evil diabolical anti-social type to worry about. Just look a the ones who smoke and carelessly flick their lit cigs anywhere they feel like. Sounds like a clear cut mandate to outlaw smoking everywhere in the county to me.

To JSten wrote on Jun 17, 2007 1:17 PM:So, you're saying that a lit cigarette, thrown from a car a mile away somehow gets up into the riverbed? And this has happened in the same place 43 times in Oceanside and now twice in one day in Bonsall? Wow...that is REALLY pathetic.

kaarina wrote on Jun 18, 2007 7:09 PM:wow this was really scary, we were within a quarter mile of it and taking insurence pics and everything, so scary

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