San Diego 2007 Wildfires - - Poomacha Fire

Last Updated: November 9, 2007 6:30 am (FINAL)
Date/Time Started: October 23, 2007 3:13 pm
Administrative Unit: CAL FIRE / San Diego County Operational Area
County: San Diego
Location: Hwy 76, Pauma Valley
Acres Burned: 49,410 acres (see map)
Structures Destroyed: 138 homes, 1 commercial property and 78 outbuildings have been destroyed.
Injuries: 15 firefighter injuries have been reported.
Cause: The fire cause was released as a structure fire spreading into the vegetation. The cause of the structure fire is undetermined.
Cooperating Agencies: San Diego Sheriff
Total Fire Personnel: 379 (137 CAL FIRE)
Fire crews: 7 (2 CAL FIRE)
Engines: 13 (4 CAL FIRE)
Helicopters: 2
Dozers: 1
Water tenders: 4
Costs to date: $20.6 million
Major Incident Command Team: Cleveland National Forest assumed command on November 9 at 6:00 pm.
Conditions: The Poomacha Fire joined with the Witch Fire to the south.

Photo by Sean DuFrene / San Diego Union-Tribune
A view from Highway 76 of the Poomacha Fire and the La Jolla Indian Reservation (Oct. 23, 2007)

Photo by Andrew Gombert/Environemtnal Protection Agency

Poomacha Fire burns near La Jolla Indian Reservation

Photo by George Wester (© 2007)
Poomacha Fire as seen from Temecula

Photo by Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times
Firefighter dwarfed by flames along East Grade Road on Palomar Mountain (October 24, 2007)

Photo by John Gastaldo/San Diego Union-Tribune
An S2T air tanker makes a drop on the northeast side of Palomar Mountain (October 24, 2007)

Photo by John Gastaldo/San Diego Union-Tribune

Palomar Mountain volunteer engineer Justin Wisnewski and firefighter Kevin Millswork on putting out a hot spot in the Crestline neighborhood of Palomar Mountain (October 24, 2007)

Photo by Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times
Firefighters hose down hotspots on Palomar Mountain
(October 24, 2007)

Photo by Sean Masterson/Environmental Protection Agency

Firefighter Carlita Foss creates a fire line on Palomar Mountain

Photo by John Gastaldo/San Diego Union-Tribune

State and federal firefighters worked together along with water-dropping helicopters to keep the Poomacha Fire in check as it advanced eastward toward Palomar Observatory along French Valley (October 26, 2007)

Photo by John Gastaldo/San Diego Union-Tribune

State and federal firefighters worked together along with water-dropping helicopters to keep the Poomacha Fire in check as it advanced eastward toward Palomar Observatory along French Valley (October 26, 2007)

Photo by John Gastaldo/San Diego Union-Tribune

State and federal firefighters worked together along with water-dropping helicopters to keep the Poomacha Fire in check as it advanced eastward toward Palomar Observatory along French Valley (October 26, 2007)

Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times

A firefighter watches a Poomacha backfire burn on Palomar Mountain.

Photo by Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times

Destruction of Rincon Catholic Church

Photo by Peggy Peattie/San Diego Union-Tribune

Father Luke Jauregui presided over a Mass held in the front yard of a burned-out church of St. Bartholomew in Rincon (October 28, 2007)

Photo Credits:

Gambert, A. )2007). Select photograph of Poomacha Fire. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved Decemebr 6, 2007 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2007

Gastaldo, J. (2007). Select photograph of Poomacha Fire. San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 2, 2007 from http://signonsandiego.lamphost.net/northcounty

Interagency State Burned Area Response (BAER) Report. (2007, November 17). The Poomacha Fire.

Masterson, S. (2007). Select photograph of Poomacha Fire. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved Decemebr 6, 2007 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2007

Peattie, P. (2007). Select photograph of Poomacha Fire. San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved December 2, 2007 from http://signonsandiego.lamphost.net/northcounty

Skalij, W. (2007). Select Photographs of the Poomacha Fire. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 6, 2007 from http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tictoc24oct24,0,449513.story?coll=la-home-center and http://www.fireupdate.com/2007/2007updates-tuesday.htm

Vander Brug, B. (2007). Select Photograph of the Poomacha Fire. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 6, 2007 from http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-socal-fires_day4-pg,0,977460.photogallery?coll=la-home-center&index=38

Wester, G. (2007). Select photogrph of Poomacha Fire. Flickr, Retrieved December 6, 2007 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwester/1722638136/