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As temperatures rise this summer, it’s important to consider safeguarding your property from wildfires. Wildfires are the biggest hazard in San Diego County and people should create 100 feet or more of defensible space around their homes and businesses. Why is this so important? Reducing growth and clearing debris around your property can help minimize damage if a gust of wind carries a burning ember into the yard. Assess your property’s vulnerability. What would the burning ember land on? Dried leaves in your gutter? The...
There are hundreds of hiking trails available to San Diego County residents and visitors, but it can be dangerous, and even deadly, to not take the heat into consideration before lacing up your boots. Over the weekend, a 50-year-old woman died after leaving a group of hikers she was hiking with and setting out on her own in the Black Mountain Open Space Park in the City of San Diego. The county routinely closes parks in remote areas due to excessive heat to protect hikers,...
With schools out for summer for many teens and children, the risk of them gaining access to alcohol goes up when parents are at work and teens may be unsupervised. Minors often get alcohol or marijuana in one of these ways: from older friends, strangers willing to buy it for them, store clerks who fail to check IDs, online, friend's parents and sometimes their own parents. The Sheriff's Department is reminding adults that it is against the law to provide alcohol or marijuana...
County Animal Shelters are trying to find homes for homeless pets by waiving fees for some pets and for some adopters. Pets offer positive health benefits for people, more than a pot of gold. No matter if they're a Siberian Husky, a German Shepherd, a Chihuahua, a Russian Blue or a Siamese cat, during March, everyone's Irish at the San Diego County Animal Shelters. Of the pets in shelter care, over 40% of dogs and cats have been waiting for their furever home for over 30...
Higher than normal temperatures building through the week are expected at the coast and inland valleys of San Diego County starting Tuesday through the holiday weekend. The National Weather Service in San Diego has issued an excessive heat warning calling for triple digits temperatures in some inland areas and the deserts and is expected to last through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 5. Cool Zones are open during the day at San Diego County libraries. On Monday, three libraries will open Cool Zone community rooms from 10 a.m. to 6... Full story
The National Weather Services has issued a prolonged heat wave through Labor Day and that creates an elevated fire risk. County emergency officials are offering the following tips to reduce the fire risk. People are asked to avoid using power tools to clear away brush because it can spark a fire. People interested in protecting their property from the threat of brush fires can instead do these things: • Remove debris, including dried leaves, firewood stacks, or trash from around the home. This includes leaves on their roof a... Full story
All public San Diego County offices, family resource centers, libraries and animal shelters will be closed Monday, May 30 for the Memorial Day holiday, according to a County News Service spokeswoman. There will be no mail delivery Monday. And according to the USPS website, “Although there will be no regular mail service, Priority Mail Express is delivered 365 days a year and will be delivered on May 30. Normal delivery and collection schedules will resume Tuesday, May 31. All residential curbside trash pick up will have a o... Full story
High temperatures over the next week in San Diego, particularly the deserts, are cause for extra precaution. Residents are advised to stay cool, avoid activities that may cause overheating, and pay extra attention to older adults, people with chronic medical conditions, young children and pets because they are more susceptible to heat illness. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for county deserts starting Monday, June 14 and continuing through Friday, June 18. Temperatures are predicted to range...
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office is putting current technology into a renewed effort to identify a man whose body was found nearly 40 years ago. His remains were discovered in a burning dumpster outside a Big Bear Market in the 9900 block of Mira Mesa Boulevard, Sept. 28, 1981. Despite efforts at the time, homicide investigators did not find any information to identify him. The San Diego Police Cold Case Unit is now taking another look at this case. Police...
Extreme low humidity and forecasted high winds will result in elevated wildfire danger and a red flag warning through Saturday in the San Diego County mountains and inland valleys. Residents are asked to be alert for wildfires and to take steps around their homes and properties to reduce the risk of wildfire. Be careful to restrict use of certain power tools since they can sometimes spark fires. What you can do now is cut away and remove dead and dying plants near your home...
Five San Diego County programs were chosen by the California State Association of Counties for 2020 Challenge Awards, highlighting innovation among programs developed and implemented in county government. San Diego County received the second most awards this year. Los Angeles County received seven. In total, 49 programs from 25 counties were awarded this year. The Love Your Heart, Heart Health Awareness program received a Challenge Award in the Health and Human Services...
The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office released both midyear statistics comparing the first six months of 2020 to 2019 and its 2019 annual report. "By releasing this level of data, we hope people can study risk factors and identify common issues and trends that could perhaps lead to discoveries and improvements in health that ultimately can save lives," Dr. Steven Campman, interim chief medical examiner of San Diego, said. Looking first at midyear figures, the...
The San Diego County Probation Department received a $371,485 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to supervise high-risk, repeat DUI offenders. DUI probation officers supervise individuals in San Diego County seven days a week during nontraditional hours, including weekends and holidays. In addition to enforcing sobriety, officers work with community partners to provide appropriate resources for each person and to assist them with their overall compliance with t...
The San Diego County Department of Animal Services is participating in this year’s monthlong Clear the Shelters adoption event being done online to prevent potential spread of coronavirus. The event is sponsored by NBC and Telemundo with the goal of finding homes for as many pets as possible through media exposure and promotions. The event runs through Aug. 31 this year. Last year, the county adopted out 119 pets during the event. County shelters are offering all pets that have been in our care longer than 30 days for a d... Full story
A heavy weeklong storm, April 5-10, resulted in flooding and water damage for many homes and businesses. If a San Diego County resident’s property or small business sustained damage from the rain, the county would like their help to estimate rain damages in the region. The county Office of Emergency Services is asking storm-affected residents to complete a short damage survey form that will assist the county in collecting damage information and associated costs from the rains. The information gathered from the surveys will b...
Do you know of any teens in San Diego County who deserve recognition for something remarkable they do? The San Diego County public defender is seeking nominations through April 1 for teens ages 13-19 who are doing something extraordinary in 25 non-traditional categories, many of which showcase creativity or social activism. "The 25 Most Remarkable Teens in San Diego program gives us an opportunity to recognize the many exceptional accomplishments of young people in our communi... Full story
If you needed to evacuate for an emergency, could you just get in your car and go? For some residents, the answer may be “no” because they lack transportation, need additional help with medical equipment or gathering items in their home. Studies have shown that during a disaster, older adults or people with disabilities, or access and functional needs have added challenges when faced with evacuation. This information inspired the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services to come up with the Neighborhood Evacuation Team pr...
The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services has a new director at the helm who arrives with experience both in the field and in our region. Jeff Toney served with the state overseeing its response to the deadly Woolsey Fire in Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the Montecito mudslides in Santa Barbara County, both in 2018. He even helped with the recovery phase of San Diego County's Lilac Fire in 2017. Toney fills the role left open by Holly Porter, who was hired as...
The new year is always a time to reflect on where people have been, where their headed and how to make improvements. Residents should consider protecting their pets as an area to improve in for this new decade. How can this goal be done when a pet owner already feels they are already doing well? See the seven resolutions below from county Animal Services. Perhaps, San Diego pet owners are halfway there already. Seven pet owner resolutions for the New Year: Make sure dogs and c...
Unintentional fentanyl overdose deaths in the San Diego region increased by 68% when comparing this year’s midyear data with the same period for 2018, statistics just released by the County Medical Examiner’s Office show. From January through June this year, there were 69 fentanyl deaths compared to 41 in the first six months of last year. Fentanyl is an illicit synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 25 to 50 times stronger than heroin. The high-potency drug is lethal, even in tiny doses. “In t...
County of San Diego Communications Office Everyone looks forward to making new, wonderful memories during the holiday season, but for anyone who has ever been a victim of a crime, it could quickly turn into a year they would rather forget. The San Diego County District Attorney and Sheriff’s Department remind residents to take precautions to avoid becoming a theft victim whether online, in malls or store parking lots, or at home. Here are steps you can take to reduce the likelihood that you’ll be targeted in any of those sit...
The San Diego County Probation Department received a $369,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety to supervise high-risk, repeat DUI offenders with suspended or revoked licenses. "The grant helps our officers provide intensive supervision to felony DUI offenders and we are grateful for it," Ruben Leyva, assistant chief probation officer, said. "It partially funds positions and enables officers to conduct compliance checks after hours. Without this important...
Do you have a plan if there's a wildfire? Or any emergency? San Diego County is mailing a Personal Disaster Plan to residents who live in the areas of highest fire danger in the community. Residents are encouraged to read it when it arrives, discuss it with the family, complete it and practice it. Then when an emergency occurs, families will know what to do and can avoid delays in getting everyone to safety. San Diego County officials, Friday, Oct. 18, asked residents to be...
Residents are asked to use extreme caution with fire sources such as power tools and cigarettes due to Santa Ana winds expected to sweep through San Diego County mountains and inland valleys Thursday and Friday, Oct. 10-11. The arrival of the fall's first Santa Ana is a reminder that it is peak fire season, and the region's dry brush and grasses could potentially ignite a dangerous wildfire and threaten communities. The National Weather Service issued a Fire Weather Watch...
The San Diego County office of emergency services introduced new efforts to better prepare the region for a disaster, with a specific focus on wildfires. The first is the county resiliency program, which analyzes existing emergency capability and response plans looking for potential gaps and solutions to further reduce risk to communities. The county also updated the regional operational area recovery plan, a comprehensive plan involving all key partners for the restoration of essential services and economic recovery in the...