Fires start on Pendleton; Camp Horno Evacuated

[Vulture6]

Fires start on Pendleton; larger fire looms nearby

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Oct 29, 2007 15:23:14 EDT

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Camp Pendleton base officials ordered the evacuation of Camp Horno, the inland camp that’s home to 1st Marines and its four infantry battalions — 1/1, 2/1, 3/1 and 1/4 — as two wildfires flared up Tuesday morning on the base, military officials said. No estimate was available of the fires’ size.

Fanned by intense winds, wildfires have raged across southern California for three days, displacing thousands of residents, consuming homes and leading President Bush to declare a state of emergency.

The first Pendleton fire was burning near Basilone Road near Camp Las Pulgas, Area 43, in the inland part of the base, base officials said in a statement. The fire has forced the closing of an eight-mile stretch of Basilone — a key road that runs through the base’s interior camps and training ranges — from Deer Park, south of Horno, to the Las Pulgas landfill entrance.

The second fire was burning near Camp Margarita, Area 33, north of the air station on the base, Camp Pendleton officials said. Camp Margarita and the air station straddle the Santa Margarita River bed.

“We continue to watch these fires closely and advise residents to maintain awareness of the current fire condition and exercise caution,” Col. James B. Seaton III, the base commander, said in a statement.

No housing areas are threatened by either fire, officials said.

At San Mateo, where dark smoke billowed from the nearby fires, blocking out the sun, leathernecks with 5th Marines scrambled to help Marines, sailors and several dozen displaced civilian workers who had stayed at Camp Horno the previous night, said 1st Lt. Lawton King. Camp San Mateo sits in the northwestern reaches of the base near the seaside city of San Clemente.

“It looks like a small humanitarian operation,” King said by telephone Tuesday afternoon. Marines set up racks in the camp’s gymnasium and established a processing center by the mini-exchange as more evacuees were expected throughout the day, he said.

With a 6,000-acre wildfire raging in an adjacent town, some residents at Camp Pendleton remained on guard Tuesday to prepare for an emergency evacuation if the Rice fire in the neighboring town of Fallbrook further threatens the base and homes along the Santa Margarita River valley.

Camp Pendleton is assisting U.S. Northern Command “and has provided nine firefighting vehicles and 24 crew members to support firefighting efforts,” base officials said in a statement Tuesday morning. “At this time, no Marine units have been tasked to assist in fighting the wildfires.”

Residents of several neighborhoods in the east part of the base — the De Luz, Serra Mesa, San Luis Rey and O’Neill housing areas — were told Monday to prepare to evacuate their families if the mandatory evacuation order comes.

San Diego County authorities had ordered the evacuation of 513,000 homes across the county as of midday Tuesday as firefighters continued to battle several large wildfires amid “extreme” fire conditions, officials said. Schools were closed Tuesday, some freeways were shut down and many businesses remained closed.

“The next 24 hours is very critical. It’s volatile,” San Diego Fire Chief Capt. Tracy Jarman said at a noon press conference.

Gusty Santa Ana winds continued to restrict aerial firefighting efforts in some places. On Tuesday, Seahawk helicopters with the Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85 continued to help suppress a large wildfire in the southern part of the county.

The wildfires continued to impact military installations and operations across the county.

* More than 2,500 service members, military civilian workers and family members are staying at two evacuation centers at Naval Base San Diego and North Island Naval Station in Coronado, Navy Region Southwest officials said Tuesday morning. More information is posted at the region’s Web site.

* The Navy wants to hear from sailors, family members and civilian workers affected by the blazes. Navy Region Southwest is asking military evacuees to report their current status through the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System. Navy case managers will contact families in need, and those without computer access should contact their commands.

Military family evacuation and emergency service information for Navy Region Southwest is available from the Fleet and Family Service Center at (619) 556-9399.

* Several Navy exchanges were staying open 24/7: Liberty Station, Point Loma Submarine Base, Coronado Naval Amphibious Base, the “Touch & Go” at North Island Naval Air Station, and the Q-Mart at Naval Base San Diego next to Palmer Hall.

* Training officials suspended outdoor physical training for recruits at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego because of poor air quality. “Recruits have been issued medical masks to wear when going to and from the dining facility or medical appointments,” officials said in a statement posted on the depot’s Web site.

* MCRD San Diego is providing lodging to active-duty military evacuees and their families and pets, with up to five days of no-cost billeting. Call (619) 524-4401 for information. Other contact numbers can be found on the Web site.

* The Naval Medical Center’s branch clinic in Chula Vista remained closed Tuesday, but all other naval medical facilities in the San Diego area remained open. “All personnel are key and essential — report for duty as normal,” Navy region officials said.

* More than 1,000 soldiers with the California National Guard were deploying to San Diego to assist with security and other support missions. Six Air Guard C-130 firefighting-equipped aircraft were en route to Point Mugu Naval Air Station near Ventura.

[Panzerman]

Hell of a fire - burned all around horno, the whole alpha shelf, right over recon ridge all the way down to the 5. Everything between the Basilone gate and Pulgas road is ash.

I bet a dollar somebody in 1st Marines started that shit.

[Vulture6]

Spent a lot of time back in the scrub in that area. Any buildings damage?