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Mandatory evacuation ordered for Ramona Karen Kucher RAMONA – Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the community of Ramona Sunday night as an out-of-control wildfire burned more than 8,000 acres and fire officials were hoping to get more resources to battle it. Two air tankers and 60 engines with 350 firefighters were battling the blaze, which has been named the Witch fire, said Audrey Hagen, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire the the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection. The fire initially was called the Highway 78 fire. State fire officials have requested that 1,000 more firefighters be assigned to the blaze. No homes have been destroyed and no one has been killed or injured, Cal Fire officials said. “The wind is picking up here,” said Cal Fire Capt. Randy Scales, as 40 mph gusts blew dust all around him about 8:40 p.m.
“The fire is very active and moving quickly,” Scales said, saying officials were waiting for reinforcements. “We're hoping they'll get here soon. We'll do what we can with what we've got for now.” Scales said fire officials are investigating whether downed power lines sparked the blaze. If winds increase later Sunday, Several communities were on alert, Scales said, and the Witch fire has become the region's primary concern. “This is almost a deja vu of the Cedar fire,” Scales said, referring to the weather conditions. Many residents who live near Witch Creek and San Diego Country Estates have been evacuated, and residents are being told to go to a Red Cross shelter at Poway High School on Espola Road at Titan Way, county emergency officials said. Firefighters have not tackled the fire from the air because visibility was too poor and winds were too strong, with gusts up to 60 mph at times. Cal Fire is reassessing the situation now. Earlier in the afternoon, Cal Fire Battalion Chief Kelly Zombro notified Ramona, Escondido, Poway and San Diego that the fire was headed their way. “It's just like the Cedar fire. It was just like the Cedar fire right off the bat,” Zombro said. The Sheriff's Department made reverse-911 calls to more than 5,400 homes in the San Diego Country Estates area, notifying residents that a fire was burning in their direction and advising them to be prepared to evacuate if Also earlier, sheriff's Lt. Phil Brust said the Witch fire was moving in a north/northwest direction, heading toward the Lake Sutherland area, and that winds were very strong. Zombro said the fire was burning in a swath of land untouched by the Cedar and Paradise fires of 2003. It is north of where the Cedar burned and south of where Paradise burned, and it was headed toward Ramona. Residents as far away as Rancho Peñasquitos and Carmel Valley reported that the air was thick with smoke and ash was raining down. County officials have begun posting fire updates for the public at sdcountyemergency.com. Residents were being asked to call 211 for all nonemergency calls related to this fire. If the call is initiated from a cell phone, 211 can be reached at (858) 300-1211.
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