Its been a week later after the Valley Fire started. NBC 7’s Melissa Adan has more details.
Its been a week since the Valley Fire sparked in rural eastern San Diego county. In that week it has burned 17,665 acres, destroyed 30 residences, and injured three firefighters.
Cal Fire says they continue to mop up hot spots as they've made progress containing the Valley Fire. But, it's difficult for some who've lost their homes, while others returned home after escaping the flames.
"When I first saw it come up the mountain it literally looked like fingers of fire were just coming up like a creature, pulling itself over the mountain and coming down," said Seth Madison who lives off Lawson Valley Road.
Madison said when he saw how close the fire was, he and his family evacuated.
"You could hear the fire at 2.6 miles away like a whoosh loud. And I was like, 'Yeah, time to pack it out," Madison said.
Nearly 700 firefighters helped CAL Fire battle the blaze that destroyed 30 homes.
Luckily Madison returned to his home still standing. Unfortunately, his neighbors down the hill from him lost their mobile homes and all their belongings.
The stretch of property on Prairie Drive in Jamul was torched.
Many neighbors and friends are collecting donations and funds for families who lost their homes and who are dealing with major damage.
Steven Luke
A sign reads "Thank you Cal Fire" amid the Valley Fire on September 9, 2020.
Steven Luke
Another sign reads "Looters will be shot" amid the Valley Fire on September 9, 2020.
NBC 7
A warm-colored haze lingers over the sky in San Diego’s East County.
NBC 7
Dry lands and brush are what’s left following the fire’s unforgiving path.
Ashley Matthews
A horse rests at a temporary evacuation site for equines. More than 1,000 residents of San Diego’s East County have been evacuated due to the Valley Fire.
Melissa Adan
All that’s left of this East County home is rubble. The blaze consumed the urn of a loved one, priceless photographs of family members and everything a family had.
Joe Little
NBC 7 reporter Joe Little discovered "Dead Dolly Lane" while surveying the Valley Fire's destruction in the East County on September 8, 2020.
Audra Stafford
NBC 7 reporter Audra Stafford was surveying the destruction of the Valley Fire in Lawson Valley on September 8, 2020, and this is all that’s left of one family’s home.
Audra Stafford
Audra Stafford
Joe Little, NBC 7
A hand crew marches uphill as they fight the Valley Fire in east San Diego County.
Joe Little, NBC 7
Acres of burnt land left behind by the Valley Fire.
NBC 7
Hand crews lay fire house while battling the Valley Fire.
Joe Little, NBC 7
A wildfire warning sign in east San Diego County.
Lakeside Fire Protection District
The Lakeside Fire District posted this photo on Sept. 6, 2020, of Fire Engineer Danny Leetch. The picture was taken after "26 hours straight on the fire line and fighting fire in over 108 degree heat."
Lakeside Fire Protection District
Lakeside firefighters battle Valley Fire on September 7, 2020.
Joe Little, NBC 7
Lawson Valley resident Dan Cassidy watches the Valley Fire from afar. Cassidy chose to ignore evacuation orders and stay home and protect his property.
Joe Little, NBC 7
Dangling power lines charred by the Valley Fire.
Bill Feather, NBC 7
Flames crawl up a slope near the Lawson Peak Trailhead along Lyons Valley Road during day 2 of the Valley Fire.
Bill Feather, NBC 7
A Lakeside Fire Protection District Engine protecting a structure along Japatul Road.
Bill Feather, NBC 7
Tanker 914 making a successful fire retardant drop along the Northern edge of the fire along Japatul Road, in the area east of Loveland Reservoir.
Bill Feather, NBC 7
Global Supertanker 944 makes a fire retardant drop over Horsethief Canyon along Lyons Valley Road during day 2 of the Valley Fire.
Bill Feather, NBC 7
Global Supertanker 944 makes a fire retardant drop over Horsethief Canyon along Lyons Valley Road during day 2 of the Valley Fire.
Melissa Adan/NBC 7
Flames along Lyons Valley Road near Alpine, the site of the Valley Fire.
Melissa Adan/NBC 7
Burn areas along Lyons Valley Road near Alpine, the site of the Valley Fire.
Melissa Adan/NBC 7
Burn areas along Lyons Valley Road near Alpine, the site of the Valley Fire.
leela
A viewer named leela sent this photo to NBC 7, saying this was the view from her parachute of the Valley Fire smoke on Sept. 5, 2020.
San Diego County Sheriff's Department/Twitter
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department shared this photo of the Valley Fire on Twitter on Sept. 6, 2020.
San Diego County Sheriff's Department
Smoke from the Valley Fire on Sept. 6, 2020.
NBC 7
A road leads to the relentless Valley Fire. Various road closures are in effect as crews respond to the blaze.
NBC 7
Bright flames could be seen coming from the blaze.
NBC 7
A large cloud of smoke is seen as a result of the blaze.
Ramon Galindo
Firefighters look at smoke from the Valley Fire from a distance.
NBC 7
Smoke is seen coming from the Valley Fire on its second day of burning.
NBC 7
An NBC 7 crew shot this image as they were near the flames.
Viewer, Ron Nehring, posted some pictures of his property in Crest on Old Mountain View Road.
Viewer, Ron Nehring, posted some pictures of his property in Crest on Old Mountain View Road
Viewer, Ron Nehring, posted some pictures of his property in Crest on Old Mountain View Road
Ruston Grau
NBC 7 Producer, Ruston Grau captured this picture near his home from Fletcher Hills.
Mark Mullen
NBC 7 Anchor Mark Mullen captured this plume of smoke as a hot air balloon rode by.
Steve Williams
Steve Williams was in a Southwest plane flying over the Valley Fire Saturday afternoon, about 4 p.m., he says.
Steve Williams was in a Southwest plane flying over the Valley Fire Saturday afternoon, about 4 p.m., he says.
NBC 7 anchor Monica Dean captured the plume of smoke.
Cal Fire San Diego
Cal Fire San Diego tweeted this photo at 5:52 p.m. saying the fire was at 1,500 acres
Greg Stickney/NBC 7
Ash from the Valley Fire seen in Eastlake over Labor Day weekend.
Arturo Salcedo
NBC 7 viewer Arturo Salcedo captured the “red glow” in National City as the Valley Fire burned way out in East County.
Rodney Jackson
NBC 7 viewer Rodney Jackson saw smoke in San Marcos.
Caitlin Daniel
Caitlin Daniel captured this image of smoke from the Valley Fire over El Cajon at sunrise on Sept. 6, 2020.
Lauren Finch
“This was taken on top of a hill in Poway,” said Lauren Finch. “Lots of smoke can been seen from the Valley Fire from here in East county.”
