Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Scary

El Monte Valley joins in to help firefighters

Mopping up to put out the fire trapped in tree roots and chaparral.
Mopping up to put out the fire trapped in tree roots and chaparral.

Two fire departments worked for two days and one night to put out a fire that started on Sunday, November 18 in El Monte Valley, Lakeside. Over 50 firemen and few dozens inmates preceded by two helicopters and one fixed wing plane.

Video:

El Monte Valley fire, Lakeside

Brush fire on Sunday, Nov. 18

Brush fire on Sunday, Nov. 18

The fire started a couple of days after the Santa Ana winds calmed down. Cal Fire San Diego and Lakeside Fire Department were able to contain the flames on a little over 6.6 acres of land down in the river bottom. The rest of the time was spent clearing out the vegetation and mopping up the land to put out the fire trapped in tree roots and chaparral.

Sponsored
Sponsored
“One of the guys noticed that there was smoke and yelled and alerted all of us."

On Sunday, the fire came up to the fence circling the Attigs’ horse training facility and ranch. Darcey Attig said her family went into the river bottom with shovels and hoses to put the fire out. “We took the animals that were closest to danger and pulled them up to safety.” Her husband Ronnie said, “Two of the fire fighting crews got stuck, so I jumped in the loader and got them unstuck.”

Hayley Attig, one of the couple’s daughters, “We started moving horses and getting everything put together, so if we did need to get out of here in time, we would grab everything, put it in the trailer and get out of here." Sydney Morehouse, also a valley resident, said a bigger fire would have destroyed everybody’s livelihood, but especially the animals they raise in the 4H program. “One of the guys noticed that there was smoke and yelled and alerted all of us and we kind of jumped into our emergency plan,” said Morehouse.

Dianna Alatta lives and works at the Attigs’ ranch. Alatta said, “It was right there,” pointing out behind the property fence while she is hosing down vegetation. It was scary, thank you, Jesus.”

Darcey Attig said she heard a sheriff looking for a group of teenagers who may have started the fire accidentally. A tour bus driver on El Monte Road at that time saw a group of teens on the side of the road. Sancho Ravelo said, “There was a black SUV on the side of the road with a group of teenagers, maybe three or four of them, calling frantically on their cell phones. One teenager that I got a look at had blonde hair that look like a surfer type.” Another story that has been circulating mentions a possible arson set up to clear the vegetation for the upcoming sand mining project. Contacted by phone Monday evening to confirm if there’s an investigation for arson, the Bombs and Arson Unit denied they were ever requested to look into the El Monte fire.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Croome Brothers Trio, Jack Tempchin, Ricky, Swami & the Bed Of Nails, Kahlil Nash

Acoustic and electric in Del Mar, La Jolla, Little Italy, and City Heights
Mopping up to put out the fire trapped in tree roots and chaparral.
Mopping up to put out the fire trapped in tree roots and chaparral.

Two fire departments worked for two days and one night to put out a fire that started on Sunday, November 18 in El Monte Valley, Lakeside. Over 50 firemen and few dozens inmates preceded by two helicopters and one fixed wing plane.

Video:

El Monte Valley fire, Lakeside

Brush fire on Sunday, Nov. 18

Brush fire on Sunday, Nov. 18

The fire started a couple of days after the Santa Ana winds calmed down. Cal Fire San Diego and Lakeside Fire Department were able to contain the flames on a little over 6.6 acres of land down in the river bottom. The rest of the time was spent clearing out the vegetation and mopping up the land to put out the fire trapped in tree roots and chaparral.

Sponsored
Sponsored
“One of the guys noticed that there was smoke and yelled and alerted all of us."

On Sunday, the fire came up to the fence circling the Attigs’ horse training facility and ranch. Darcey Attig said her family went into the river bottom with shovels and hoses to put the fire out. “We took the animals that were closest to danger and pulled them up to safety.” Her husband Ronnie said, “Two of the fire fighting crews got stuck, so I jumped in the loader and got them unstuck.”

Hayley Attig, one of the couple’s daughters, “We started moving horses and getting everything put together, so if we did need to get out of here in time, we would grab everything, put it in the trailer and get out of here." Sydney Morehouse, also a valley resident, said a bigger fire would have destroyed everybody’s livelihood, but especially the animals they raise in the 4H program. “One of the guys noticed that there was smoke and yelled and alerted all of us and we kind of jumped into our emergency plan,” said Morehouse.

Dianna Alatta lives and works at the Attigs’ ranch. Alatta said, “It was right there,” pointing out behind the property fence while she is hosing down vegetation. It was scary, thank you, Jesus.”

Darcey Attig said she heard a sheriff looking for a group of teenagers who may have started the fire accidentally. A tour bus driver on El Monte Road at that time saw a group of teens on the side of the road. Sancho Ravelo said, “There was a black SUV on the side of the road with a group of teenagers, maybe three or four of them, calling frantically on their cell phones. One teenager that I got a look at had blonde hair that look like a surfer type.” Another story that has been circulating mentions a possible arson set up to clear the vegetation for the upcoming sand mining project. Contacted by phone Monday evening to confirm if there’s an investigation for arson, the Bombs and Arson Unit denied they were ever requested to look into the El Monte fire.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

SDSU pres gets highest pay raise in state over last 15 years

Union-Tribune still stiffing downtown San Diego landlord?
Next Article

San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.