Laguna Fire
| Laguna Fire | |
|---|---|
| Location |
Laguna Mountains, San Diego County, California |
| Coordinates | 32°46′57.56″N 116°42′32.89″W / 32.7826556°N 116.7091361°WCoordinates: 32°46′57.56″N 116°42′32.89″W / 32.7826556°N 116.7091361°W |
| Statistics | |
| Date(s) | September 22, 1970 — November 4, 1970 |
| Burned area | 175,425 acres (710 km2) |
| Cause | Downed powerlines |
| Buildings destroyed |
382 |
| Fatalities | 8 - civilians |
The Laguna Fire, previously known as the Kitchen Creek Fire and the Boulder Oaks Fire, occurred in 1970 in the Laguna Mountains and East County region of San Diego County in Southern California.
It was the third largest wildfire in the history of California at that time, after the Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889 and the Matilija Fire of 1932. It was one of many wildfires in a massive conflagration that spanned across the state from September 22 – October 4, 1970.
The Laguna fire was started by downed power lines during Santa Ana winds in the Kitchen Creek area of the Laguna Mountains on the morning of September 26, 1970. In only 24 hours it burned westward about 30 miles (50 km) to the outskirts of El Cajon and Spring Valley. The fire devastated the communities of Harbison Canyon and Crest. In the end the fire burned 175,425 acres (710 km²) and 382 homes killing eight people.
The Laguna Fire was surpassed as the third largest fire in California history by the 280,278 acre (1,134 km²) Cedar Fire in October 2003. It was surpassed as the fourth largest by the 197,990 acre (801 km²) Witch Creek Fire in October 2007.
At a time when high Santa Ana winds grounded other firefighting aircraft, a representative of Canadair brought a CL-215 to southern California to demonstrate its capabilities in aerial firefighting. He was turned away by firefighting officials. Nevertheless, while other firefighting aircraft were unable to fly safely he operated his "Super Scooper" out of El Capitan Reservoir and dropped water on the Laguna Fire wherever he saw fit.
...
Wikipedia