2005 Labor Day brush fire

The Labor Day brush fire was a small brush fire that burned parts of Rancho Peñasquitos and Black Mountain Open Space Park in September 2005, during the 2005 California wildfire season.[1] Despite its small size, the brush fire was the worst wildfire to affect San Diego City in two years, since the Cedar Fire of 2003.[3] The wildfire resulted in 6 injuries, but did not result in structural damages.[2][3] The brush fire was determined to have been started by a teenage boy, who was subsequently arrested.[2]

Labor Day brush fire
LocationRanch Peñasquitos, San Diego County, California
Statistics
CostMinimal
Date(s)September 5, 2005 (2005-09-05) – September 7, 2005 (2005-09-07)
Burned area200 acres (1 km2)[1]
CauseArson
Buildings destroyedNone
DeathsNone
Non-fatal injuries5 civilians
1 firefighter[2][3]
Perpetrator(s)1 teenage boy[2]
MotiveUnknown

The fire

On Labor Day Monday, September 5, 2005, at around 12:55 PM PDT, at brush fire was reported in a field behind Mount Carmel High School, in Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego. The wildfire quickly spread northward, fanned by wind gusts of 15 mph (24 km/h), up the slopes of the Little Black Mountains in Black Mountain Open Space Park. Within an hour, the brush fire grew from 30 acres (0 km2) to 200 acres (1 km2). The brush fire also began moving towards some nearby homes in Rancho Peñasquitos, resulting in the evacuation of 200 homes in Rancho Peñasquitos.[1] This was the first time that a wildfire had burned into San Diego City, and the Rancho Peñasquitos area, since the Cedar Fire in 2003.[1] In September 2005, this brush fire was said to have been "the worst fire that the [San Diego Fire Department] responded to since the Cedar Fire", due to the fire's proximity to so many homes.[3] Firefighters were able to quickly stop the spread of the brush fire, with 40% containment of the fire by the evening of the same day,[1] and residents were allowed to return to their homes that evening.[4] Containment of the fire increased to 90% by Tuesday evening, on September 6. By September 7, the brush fire was fully extinguished.[2][3]

Six people were injured in relation to the brush fire; a traffic accident between an SUV and a firefighting vehicle sent 5 civilians to the hospital, and a firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion on September 5.[2][3] The Labor Day brush fire was determined to have been caused by a teenage boy, who was arrested on charges of arson. His name was not released to the public, due to his age.[2]

See also

References
  1. Leslie Wolf Branscomb (5 September 2005). "Brush fire burns 200 acres in Penasquitos, forces evacuation". San Diego Union Tribune. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  2. "San Diego Teen Arrested in Connection with Labor Day Brush Fire; 200 Homes Were Evacuated". Claims Journal. 7 September 2005. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  3. Will Carless (6 September 2005). "Rancho Penasquitos Homes Evacuated as Firefighters Battle Blaze". Voice of San Diego. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  4. "Firefighters gain upper hand on wind-fanned 150-acre brush fire". FireFighting News. 6 September 2005. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
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