Palomar firefighters holding annual fundraiser

Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department will host its 31st annual Barbecue Fundraiser on Saturday, August 30, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the fire station. Everyone is invited to a day of fun under the huge oaks and cedars on beautiful Palomar Mountain.

Entertainment and booths include radio personality Mark Larsen as emcee, food, apple pie and ice cream, beer and wine garden, raffle prizes, fire department memorabilia, dunk tank, “Best of the Best” firefighter competition, display of antique fire engines, fire truck photo ops, equipment safety demonstrations and community services information.

Items donated from local businesses will be silent auctioned or raffled off and include day cruises and casino packages. Raffle drawing grand prize is a five-day cruise to the Bahamas, Mexico or the Caribbean; second prize is two round-trip domestic tickets on Southwest Airlines; and third prize is a “Live it Up Pala” casino package.

Winners do not need to be present to accept their prizes. There are also many great items for the silent auction and for the “Pick Your Prize Chinese Auction.”

Raffle tickets will be available for purchase at the event, or contact Lisa Thomsen at [email protected].

One hundred percent of the proceeds from the barbecue are used to help offset the cost of firefighter training, safety and medical equipment, station maintenance and administrative costs incurred in the management of the Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, which currently has 25 members. They are especially thankful this year to be operating, as last October’s Poomacha Fire burned right up to the fire station.

The fire station is northeast of Escondido off Highway 76 near the intersection of S-6 and S-7 on top of scenic Palomar Mountain. From the west, take Highway 76 east from Interstate 15, turn left on S-6 (South Grade) and travel approximately seven miles to the top of the mountain. From the east use S-7 (East Grade) to the mountaintop.