SAN DIEGO — More than two weeks after the Fairmount Fire in the College Area, CBS 8 is checking in on the investigation into what started the fire.
It burned nearly 40 acres of canyon side along Montezuma Road between Fairmount Avenue and Collwood Boulevard, damaging at least 6 homes and sparking mandatory evacuations.
After neighbors told CBS 8 about people living in the canyon, we heard from San Diego Fire-Rescue about the point of origin off Fairmount and Montezuma.
“At this point, we don’t know what caused the fire, but we do know it started in or very near a homeless encampment," said Mónica Muñoz, spokesperson for San Diego Fire-Rescue on November 1. "Sometimes in cases like this, you’ll see that the evidence is burned beyond the ability to determine what caused the fire, but there are situations where we ultimately can determine that.”
CBS 8 checked in again with Muñoz about the investigation, and she told us it is still ongoing, and they haven’t yet determined how it started.
“All of the residents in the area have known for a long time that this palm grove has an extreme fire hazard," said Karen Austin, co-founder of the Alvarado Estates Fire Safe Council. “It was exacerbated by an abundance of dead palm fronds and debris, and it’s ignitability was much more extreme.”
CBS 8's Brian White walked down into the canyon at Fairmount and Montezuma where the fire started. He found burnt debris on the ground and in a shopping cart, an empty can of motor oil, and the remains of what appeared to be a homeless encampment.
“We’re hoping that more can be done by city officials and others to have a real plan to address homeless encampments especially during the high fire season,” said Austin.
Through a public records request with the City of San Diego, CBS 8 is learning that over the past three years, about a dozen fires have occurred in the canyon area that started near encampments. And citywide during the same time-period, more than 1,100 vegetation fires may have likely started in or near homeless encampments.
“This fire has helped renew residents’ commitment to wildfire preparedness," said Austin. "We’re ready to work together even more so than ever. We want to address risks in these canyon areas around us.”
CBS 8 is going to stay on top of the Fairmount Fire investigation.
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