The Rancho Santa Fe Fire October 2007

EXCLUSIVE REPORT ON THE RANCHO SANTA FE FIRE

October 25, 2007.Access into Rancho Santa Fe has been granted to residents only.

From a first hand visual perspective I saw the aftermath of the worst fire in San Diego history. Here are the details of what I saw.

On the northeast side of Rancho Santa Fe at the community of Cielo, the fire blackened the west side of the mountain. The fire was burning on both sides of Del Dios highway, dangerously close to homes in Cielo. At the east side of the Crosby Estates, the fire was stopped just a few feet from the Crosby fence line. No homes were lost in The Crosby Estates. At this time a total of 27 homes were either lost of damaged by the fire in the Covenant.

Heading west into the Covenant, the fire swept through the east side of a 250 acre private parcel.

On the west side of Cielo and to the southeast of The Bridges the fire destroyed one home. In the community of Rancho Del Rio and to the east a total of 16 homes were either damaged or destroyed. Reports from the RSF Fire district note that no homes were lost in Cielo, The Bridges, The Groves, Las Villas or Hacienda Santa Fe.
Within the village of Rancho Santa Fe on the small cul-de-sac street of Camino Selva, three homes were lost. All three were next door to one another.

As I drove into the west side of the Covenant the area was quiet and it appeared that the fire had not reached this section of the Ranch.

7 homes were either damaged or destroyed in the community of Fairbanks Ranch.

Our firefighters did a magnificent job of saving our town from what could have been a much greater disaster.

Per the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Departments website:

UPDATED WILDFIRE INFORMATION! 10/25/07, 11:20 a.m. -- We are repopulating the entire Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District effective 11:30 a.m. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF:
The community of DEL DIOS DEL DIOS HIGHWAY (East of Calle Ambiente) And LIMITED ACCESS to residents only (with proof of ID) to the streets of:
Las Colinas El Mirador La Valle Plateada El Vuelo Zumaque El Sicomoro
My thoughts are with all the people who lost their homes in all of San Diego County and to everyone that has survived this tragedy.
For more details on the Rancho Santa Fe fire please visit the Rancho Santa Fe Fire District website at www.rsf-fire.org.


The communities of Santaluz and Del Sur did not suffer any loss of homes in the Witch Creek fire.

News From The Rancho Santa Fe Review

One of our local papers, the Rancho Santa Fe Review offers information on community activities and local information.

The town has been diligently on the new school project and here are some of the latest details on the progress per the "Review"

From an article by RichardBurdge the RSF School board president:

"After much discussion the board felt it was important to gauge public support for possible alternatives being considered to relieve overcrowding and improve school facilities. A written survey has been mailed to all registered voters in the district and will be asking for voter preference on the the following alternatives:
* A Rowe campus renovation in the range of $30-$34 million. This option maintains the Rowe school on its existing 9-acre property.
* A Rowe campus renovation and expansion in the range $39-$43 million. This option includes the above scenario and provides money to acquire adjacent land to the Rowe campus as it becomes available.
* The purchase of the Quantum property( located on Del Dios Hwy. and El Camino Del Norte) and construction of a district wide 5-8 upper school for approx. $60 million.
* The purchase of the Quantum property as land only purchase for $12-$16 million.
* A policy option of sending all district wide 7th and 8th graders to the Earl Warren Middle School.
rict's upcoming decision about palcing one of the alernatives on a bond ballot in 2008.