“All of the sudden I just saw smoke started happening and then a palm tree went up in flames, and then the canyon kind of caught on fire,” said Howard Wu, who lives in a University Heights neighborhood.
Wu was cleaning outside his home when he said he heard what appeared to be someone talking down on the canyon. When he looked to the canyon to see where the sound was coming from, he saw the fire and immediately called 9-1-1.
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WATCH HERESan Diego Fire said they responded to a call about a brush fire around 1:30 p.m, which included 120 firefighters and two helicopters. They were able to put out the fire, but Wu said about 30 minutes later, two more palm trees went up in flames.
“The first thought was, not again, so I just started yelling…fire, fire..because the trucks were still in the neighborhood, so I was just calling and started yelling for firefighters to come back and they rushed back into the canyon,” Wu said.
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SIGN UP Deputy Fire Chief Brent Brainard, with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, said one firefighter was burned on the neck from an ember cast. He was taken to the hospital, but is expected to be okay.
Tony Long rushed to check-in on his parents when he got a notification on his phone about a fire nearby. “Evacuating your loved ones is important and that’s what immediately came to my mind,” Long said.
Long grew up in the neighborhood and said the vegetation has grown significantly since he lived there 20 years ago.
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That’s why firefighters are emphasizing to neighbors the importance of creating defensible space around their homes, so they can clear out potential fire hazards before it’s too late.
“We really want the residents to take it seriously, work with our community risk reduction division to ensure their houses are protected, and that way they can help assist us, so that when we do get to a scene, we are set up for success,” Deputy Brainard said.
San Diego Fire Rescue said they will keep resources on site overnight.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
