Wildfire — San Diego, California

1996-10-21 to 1996-10-25 · near Harmony Grove, San Diego, California

Event narrative

Santa Ana winds averaging 30 mph, with gusts to 45, fanned the flames of three wildfires across San Diego County. The first fire started in Harmony Grove, and quickly spread westward to eastern sections of Carlsbad and Encinitas, burning some 8,600 acres, destroying 125 homes, damaging 122 others, and seriously burning one man. Another fire broke out at 6:55 pm on the Rincon Indian Reservation, and spread to Valley Center, consuming 1,800 acres, and destroying six structures. The largest fire began around 2:00 am on the 22nd, on desolate Otay Mountain, and spread to the Tijuana River in Mexico, burning over 14,000 acres, three radio towers, and six cows, before it was under control on the 25th. In all, six people were injured, one critically by fire, 24,435 acres burned, and preliminary damages totaled 37.4 million dollars.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5576435. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.