CAMP PENDLETON Marine Base - Northern San Diego County
– The second wildfire in a week on the Marine Corps base forced more than 4,000 people on and off the base to flee their homes Monday as flames threatened Oceanside neighborhoods.
By nightfall, the Juliet fire had scorched some 1,500 acres on the base and was still uncontained.
Meanwhile, a 500-acre fire near Fallbrook, which has merged with the larger Juliet fire farther south, had burned to within 200 yards of homes there, and residents there were packed and poised to evacuate.
For Camp Pendleton, it was its second major fire in less than a week. Another 1,500-acre blaze roared across the southern end of the base Thursday.
The Juliet fire also broke out at the southern end of Pendleton, near the base’s San Luis Rey Gate east of Vandegrift Boulevard. It quickly jumped the roadway and was burning on both side of Vandegrift. At the same time, flames threatened to jump off the base and into Oceanside.
In all, more than 2,000 Pendleton residents were evacuated, according to base officials. In Oceanside, meanwhile, police reported 1,240 homes evacuated.
The good thing that came out of surviving this without lose of life or home was the knowledge that important items and documents need to be placed in such a way that they can be grabbed in a matter of seconds and that includes pets and kids. Also one should have radios, batteries, flashlights, water, and any first aid items available at the home.
In Santa Barbara when it was most critical to know if we had to quickly evacuate the electrical was out and the sheriffs had to come to our doors and order us out NOW! The winds brought it to our a block away within an hour! Most people aren't so lucky to have loads of sherriffs and police on every block as we did. The smoke got in the electrical lines shutting it down all the way up and down the coast into Ventura. We had to rely on that radio day and night unexpectedly. These fires move fast out here! Blessings to all.
This is horrific to see. Last year we lost our business to the Fallbrook fires and then our home to foreclosure because of it. My thoughts are with all of those who are enduring this now. We will be watching and hoping for you.