Southern California Blazes Bring Scorching Results
The hardest-hit area is San Diego County, where five separate fires caused all seven fatalities and burned more than 1,050 homes. The emergency prompted locally-based Kleinfelder Inc. to stay closed on Oct. 22 as half of its 140-person office staff were evacuated, says Lori Cathcart, vice president and office manager. No employees were injured, but one lost his home, she adds. Others faced “close calls,” Cathcart says.
Fires forced San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to turn off the vital 500-kV Southwest Powerlink, which feeds power from Arizona into San Diego County, for four days while crews battled flames. “It was taken down on [Oct. 21] for safety reasons so that firefighters could begin fighting the fire safely,” says utility spokeswoman Jennifer Briscoe.