Witch Fire

The Witch Creek Fire, also known as the Witch Fire,[1] was the second-largest wildfire of the 2007 California wildfire season. Although the Witch Creek Fire was individually smaller than the Zaca Fire of 2007 (which burned at least 240,207 acres (972 km2)),[5] burning 197,990 acres (801 km2) acres alone, after merging with the Poomacha and McCoy Fires, the Witch–Guejito–Poomacha Complex Fire had a total burn area of 247,800 acres (1,003 km2), surpassing the Zaca Fire to become the largest complex fire of 2007.[2][3] Fanned by powerful Santa Ana winds, the Witch Creek Fire rapidly spread westward, and consumed large portions of San Diego County. During its duration, 80–100 feet-high flames were reported by fire officials in the Witch Fire,[6] and the Witch Fire exhibited the characteristics of a firestorm at its height.[4]

Not to be confused with Creek Fire (2017).
Witch Creek fire
Part of the Fall 2007 California firestorm
Image of the wildfire burning in the background, on the night of October 21, 2007
LocationSan Diego County, California
Statistics
Cost$1.339 billion (2007 USD)[1][2][3]
Date(s)October 21, 2007 – November 13, 2007[4]
(The original Witch Fire perimeter was fully contained on November 6)
Burned area247,800 acres (1,003 km2)[2][3]
  • 197,990 acres (801 km2) burned by the original Witch Fire[2]
CauseDowned electric power lines (Witch Fire)
Buildings destroyed1,265 residential structures
587 outbuildings[2][3]
Deaths2 civilians[2]
Non-fatal injuries55 firefighters[2][3]
  • 15 injured by the Poomacha Fire

On the morning of October 22, 2007, about a day after the Witch Creek Fire had ignited, residents of San Diego County were ordered to evacuate through the Reverse 911 system.[7] Eventually, the Witch Creek Fire led to the evacuations of 500,000 people across San Diego County.[8][9] The Witch Fire was a major contributor to the mass evacuations across much of Southern California at that time, which saw 1,000,000 residents evacuate, becoming the largest evacuation in California history.[10] The Witch–Poomacha Fire caused at least $1.3 billion (2007 USD) in insured damages alone,[1] becoming the costliest wildfire of 2007.[11][12] As of 2020, the Witch Fire is the fourteenth-largest wildfire in modern California history,[13] as well as the sixth-most destructive wildfire on record in California.[14]

Fire progression
San Diego skyline against the smoke at sunrise, on October 23, 2007.
Image of the smoke-filled sky in San Diego, on the morning of October 22, 2007.

The Witch Creek Fire started in Witch Creek Canyon near Santa Ysabel, at 12:35 PM PDT on Sunday, October 21, 2007, after powerful Santa Ana winds blew down a power line, releasing sparks into the wind.[2] The Witch Fire quickly spread to San Diego Country Estates, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo, Poway, and Escondido. From there, the fire jumped over Interstate 15 and continued west, causing significant damage in Lake Hodges, Del Dios, and Rancho Santa Fe.[8]

Strong Santa Ana winds pushed the fires west towards the coast.[7] San Diego County Sheriff William B. Kolendar stated that the Witch Creek Fire could be "well in excess of the Cedar Fire of 2003".[15] While many coastal communities were evacuated as the fire moved west, the shifting winds prevented it from directly threatening those areas. By the evening of October 21, the Witch Creek Fire had expanded to 2,000 acres (8 km2). At 11:37 PM PDT on October 21, the McCoy Fire ignited in the Pine Hills area in eastern San Diego County, near Cleveland National Forest.[4] The fire was quickly contained on October 23, after burning 400 acres (2 km2);[16] however, hotspots within the fire perimeter would continue to burn until October 26, when the wildfire eventually merged with the expanding Witch Fire.[17]

Witch and Guejito fires merge

On Monday, October 22, 2007, the Santa Ana winds peaked, reaching sustained wind speeds of 90 mph (140 km/h), with winds gusting up to 112 mph (180 km/h). The extremely powerful Santa Ana winds fanned the wildfires in Southern California, causing many of the wildfires to rapidly expand westward.[4] At 1:30 AM PDT on October 22, 2007, the Guejito Fire ignited southeast of the San Diego Wild Animal Park, within the San Pasqual River drainage. By 4:30 AM PDT, the Guejito Fire rapidly expanded to Interstate 15, forcing the closure of the freeway in both directions, which disrupted some evacuations from areas affected by the Witch Creek Fire.[4][6] In less than an hour, the Witch Creek Fire caught up with the Guejito Fire to the west, and the two fires combined into a single, massive wildfire, before dawn. With powerful Santa Ana winds gusting over 100 mph (160 km/h), the Witch Creek Fire then jumped over Interstate 15, rapidly burning into Rancho Bernardo.[4][6] On the morning of October 22, at 5:22 AM PDT, residents located between the Del Dios Highway and State Route 56 were ordered to evacuate.[7][18] A firefighter stated that the conditions they faced were "twice as bad" as the Cedar Fire in 2003, with firefighters separating houses into those that they could save and those that they couldn't.[19] The Witch Creek Fire had become a firestorm by this time, exhibiting extreme fire behavior and long-range spotting.

The Witch Creek Fire continued to race westward, and by 9:25 PM PDT, on October 22, mandatory evacuation orders had been expanded westward to Escondido and Del Mar, all the way up to the coast.[18] By 9:30 P.M. PDT on October 22, a dispatch from the city of Del Mar's web site stated: "For your safety, we are strongly advising that all Del Mar residents evacuate."[20] Evacuations were also ordered for Scripps Ranch neighborhood, specifically "Everything south of Scripps Poway Parkway, north of MCAS Miramar, east of Interstate 15, and west of Highway 67". The Mesa Grande Indian Reservation was also evacuated due to the Witch Fire.[21] Residents of the Barona Indian Reservation were advised to leave, though the evacuation was not mandatory. The casino on the reservation was closed. At approximately 01:00 UTC on October 23 (6:00 PM PDT on October 22), the Witch Fire expanded near Wildcat Canyon to the south of Barona, where many houses had been destroyed and lives lost in the Cedar Fire. Residents of Wildcat Canyon and Muth Valley were ordered to evacuate, and the road was closed.[22] By the end of October 22, the Witch Creek Fire had exploded to an enormous 145,000 acres (587 km2), and the fire was still rapidly expanding.[4]

Burn area map of the Witch Creek Fire on October 30, 2007, after it had merged with the Poomacha Fire.

Poomacha Fire and Witch fire merge

During the late afternoon of October 23, evacuations of Del Mar, Chula Vista, Poway, Del Mar Heights, and Scripps Ranch were lifted for many residents.[23][24] At 3:13 AM PDT, on October 23, 2007, the Poomacha Fire was ignited in the La Jolla Indian Reservation in northeastern San Diego County. On the same day, the Poomacha Fire quickly exploded to 20,000 acres (81 km2), with most of that growth occurring within one and a half hours.[4][3] At 9:50 P.M. PDT on October 23, 2007, the town of Julian, California was ordered to evacuate. Due to the fires, there was no power or phone service in the town.[25]

On Wednesday, October 24, 2007, the Santa Ana winds began to subside and the prevailing winds shifted directions, with the onshore flow blowing in from the west, which caused the Witch Creek Fire to reverse directions and begin burning eastward, ending the threat to the coastal communities. This also allowed the fire to burn previously-unburned fuel (which was passed over during the initial rapid spread of the fire), threatening communities further east that had so far avoided the worst of the Witch Creek Fire.[4][26] On the same day, some of the evacuation orders in place for Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Peñasquitos, 4S Ranch, and other areas west of Rancho Bernardo were lifted, after the western part of the Witch Creek Fire was contained. However, the evacuation orders in place for eastern and northern Rancho Bernardo, around Lake Hodges, were still in place.[27] On October 25, more of the evacuation orders for the Witch Fire around Rancho Bernardo and other neighboring communities were lifted, as the Witch Creek Fire became 45% contained, with the western portion of the fire being brought under control.[28]

On October 24, the California Highway Patrol closed Interstate 5, after the Ammo Fire burned across the freeway; the Ammo Fire also forced the closures of the Amtrak California Surfliner service between Oceanside and San Clemente. These routes had previously been used to evacuate residents from the Witch Creek Fire areas.[29] Traffic from Interstate 5 was diverted to Interstate 15, which had reopened since the portion of the Witch Creek Fire around Interstate 15 had been extinguished.[30] Late on October 24, after the winds had reversed, the Witch Fire began approaching the nearby Poomacha Fire to the north, which was burning near Palomar Mountain, with firefighters and officials fearing that the two wildfires would soon merge.[31] By this time, the Poomacha Fire had grown to 35,000 acres (142 km2), and also began burning towards Palomar Mountain, to the north. Despite the fact that the Poomacha Fire was still much smaller than the Witch Creek Fire, firefighters were unable to establish a fire perimeter around the younger fire, due to the fact that other larger fires had rendered available firefighters and equipment scarce for the Poomacha Fire.[4][31] On October 25, the Witch Fire and the Poomacha Fire merged into one gigantic complex fire, with the two wildfires joining to the south of Palomar Mountain.[4]

Witch Fire contained

By October 26, the Santa Ana winds had finally subsided and the onshore flow had fully returned, slowing down the spread of the remaining fires and also aiding firefighters in their efforts to contain the remaining wildfires.[4] On the same day, the Witch Fire also merged with the contained McCoy Fire,[17] which had previously burned 400 acres in the Pine Hills area, in eastern San Diego County.[16]

On November 6, 2007, the main portion of the Witch Creek Fire was 100% contained, although the Poomacha portion of the complex fire continued to burn near Palomar Mountain for another week.[2] On November 13, 2007, the Poomacha Fire was fully contained, bringing the entire Witch–Poomacha Complex Fire completely under control.[4]

Impacts

By mid-morning on October 22, 2007, thousands of evacuees were taking shelter in Qualcomm Stadium and other locations throughout San Diego.[32] On the afternoon of October 22, 2007, the Marines evacuated some planes from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar to other military bases in California and Arizona.[33] The Navy moved all non-essential personnel from Naval Base San Diego barracks onto nearby vessels to accommodate refugees.[34] The San Diego Wild Animal Park moved some animals to the on-site animal hospital for their protection.[7] Illegal migrant workers were endangered by the crisis, sometimes staying at work in the fields within mandatory evacuation zones. Many had lived in the canyons nearby and distrusted officials.[35] When fleeing the fires, some were arrested, while others were turned away from shelters due to lack of adequate identification.

[36]

The Witch Creek Fire forced the evacuation of at least 500,000 people from over 346,000 homes in San Diego County.[8][9] Evacuation sites in San Diego County included Qualcomm Stadium, Escondido High School, Mission Hills High School, Poway High School, Mira Mesa Senior High School, and the Del Mar Fairgrounds.[7][32] Many major roads were also closed as a result of the fires and smoke. On October 22, the California Highway Patrol closed Interstate 15 in both directions between State Routes 78 and 56.[7] On October 24, 2007, the Ammo (Horno) Fire forced the closure of Interstate 5, as well as the Amtrak California Surfliner service between Oceanside and San Clemente.[29] Traffic from Interstate 5 was being diverted to Interstate 15, which had reopened.[30]

Air quality and effects on health

The concentration of particulate matter 10 micrometers and smaller (designated PM10) reached unhealthy levels as a result of the fires. PM10 particles are small enough to enter deep into the lungs, and possibly the bloodstream. San Diego city attorney Michael Aguirre, citing concerns over weather conditions and air quality, urged the city to consider a voluntary evacuation of the entire city.[37]

Smoke fills the horizon in East San Diego County, October 22, 2007.

Response

The Department of Defense contributed twelve engines for firefighting efforts. The National Guard called more than 2,400 troops,[38] with 17,000 available if needed; of which 100 California National Guard medical personnel provided medical assistance.[34] Six crews from the Navy's Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85 based at Naval Air Station North Island were assigned to battle the Witch Creek fire. They flew MH-60 Seahawk helicopters equipped with a 420-gallon water bucket and they were the only local Navy teams trained to fight fires from the air. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar contributed several aircraft as well as fire fighting trucks to operations based in Ramona.[39] One of the larger airtankers, the Martin Mars, sent through a private contract from its home in Port Alberni, British Columbia on October 25, landing on Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, California. It has a 7,000 gallon capacity. Two other airtankers and their crews from Quebec worked on the fires, part of an annual three-month contract with the state of California.[40]

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven California counties where fires burned. President George W. Bush concurred[41] and visited the region on Thursday, October 25, 2007.[42]

Rep. Duncan Hunter criticized state fire officials for delaying the use of Marine helicopters until CalFire spotters were in position to coordinate their efforts. However, California Fire Marshal Kate Dargan said that the Marines and officials at CalFire were following procedures worked out with the military after serious problems with air coordination during the 2003 California wildfires.[43]

Aftermath

The Witch and Guejito Fires combined to burn 197,000 acres, killed two people, injured 40 firefighters, and destroyed 1,141 homes and 239 vehicles.[44] In addition to the costs of fighting the fire, the Witch–Poomacha Fire is estimated to have caused an estimated $1.3 billion in insured damages,[1] with the original Witch Fire causing over $1.142 billion in insured damages alone.[11][12] As of 2020, the Witch Fire is the fourteenth-largest wildfire in modern California history,[13] as well as the sixth-most destructive wildfire on record in California.[14]

The remains of a home destroyed by the Witch Creek Fire

The California Public Utilities Commission ruled that in the Witch and Guejito fires, along with the Rice fire, San Diego Gas and Electric had not trimmed back trees as state law requires. The power line that caused the Witch fires shorted three times in three hours, but the utility didn't cut power to it for six hours.[44] In August 2017, administrative law Judges S. Pat Tsen and Sasha Goldberg ruled that the utility did not reasonably manage its facilities and that the wildfires were not outside of its control. Therefore, they ruled that the utility could not pass its uninsured costs along to its ratepayers. The PUC agreed in early December in a 5-0 vote.[44][45] Legal claims after the fires totalled $5.6 billion, $2.4 billion after the utility settled 2,500 lawsuits for damages.[46] The $379 million it had sought to pass along to customers represented uninsured costs.[44]

See also

References
  1. "After Action Report - October 2007 Wildfires" (PDF). Air Worldwide Corporation. December 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on Dec 12, 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
  2. "Witch Fire Incident Information". CAL FIRE. November 6, 2007. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  3. "Poomacha Fire Incident Information". CAL FIRE. November 9, 2007. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
  4. "California Fire Siege 2007: An Overview" (PDF). 8 January 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2015.
  5. "Zaca Fire Incident Information". CAL FIRE. 4 September 2007. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  6. Elizabeth Marie Himchak (November 12, 2012). "Witch Creek fire five years later: Recovery, preparation efforts continue". Retrieved November 13, 2017.
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  44. David R. Baker (December 1, 2017). "Customers not liable for utility's legal costs". San Francisco Chronicle. p. C1. Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2019.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  45. Paul Rogers (December 1, 2017). "PUC: Utility can't pass fire costs to customers: Setting stage for PG&E claims, San Diego power company, stockholders liable for $379M". San Jose Mercury-News. Bay Area News Group. p. A1.
  46. Paul Rogers (November 30, 2017). "Wildfires: Utility blocked from charging customers for wildfire costs". The Mercury News. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
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