Officials confirm Lilac Fire still burning out of control, officials say

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The Lilac Fire is still holding at 4,100 acres with no containment, San Diego County Officials announced today in a news conference held at the County of San Diego Emergency Operations Center on Overland Avenue in San Diego.

According to CALFIRE Captain Kendall Bortisser, the cause of the blaze, which was first reported shortly before noon, Thursday, Dec. 7, is still undetermined at this time but investigators are working around the clock to determine the cause of the fire.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Dianne Jacobs said that 85 structures are burned but could not verify how many of those structures were homes. She noted that quite a few mobile homes were lost in the fire.

Sheriff Bill Gore said the assessment process to determine how many homes were lost will begin today and that 150 law enforcement personnel are on the job at the Lilac Fire. He said that his department will be patrolling the neighborhoods that had been evacuated to ensure the belongings and property of those left behind would be secure.

According to Gore, 93 Sheriff deputies and other employees, 37 CHP officers and 20 county probationers are currently working to secure the area.

All evacuations are still in place and the county is working on a plan for repopulation of the evacuated areas.

Gore said there are currently 900 people in shelters, but that only 10 percent of those evacuated actually go to a shelter.

"The rest will stay with family and friends," he said.

Gore projected some 10,000 people had been evacuated due to the fires.

Authorities issued an initial mandatory evacuation order for all areas south of state Route 76, west of Interstate15, north of Gopher Canyon Road and east of Mission Road/Vista Way. Among the evacuated sites were Bonsall High School, Sullivan Middle School and all neighborhoods along West Lilac Road.

Other sites under mandatory evacuation orders are:

Region south of Burma Road, east of Wilshire Road, north of North River Road and west of South Mission Avenue.

Area south of Reche Road, west of Interstate 15, east of Green Canyon Road and South Mission Road, and north of state Route 76.

Region south of Reche Road, north of Burma Road, east of the Camp Pendleton Eastern Fence Line and west of Green Canyon Road.

Area south of N. River Road, north of Bobier Drive, east of Melrose and N. Santa Fe and west of E. Vista Way.

Region south of Camp Pendleton Eastern Fence Line, north of N. River Road, west of Wilshire Road and east of Douglas Drive.

Residents of other nearby communities were advised to seriously consider retreating to safer areas as a precaution.

Authorities set up evacuation centers for the displaced at Bostonia Recreation Center in El Cajon, Carlsbad Forum in Carlsbad, East Valley Community Center in Escondido and at Oceanside and Fallbrook High schools.

A shelter at the Stagecoach Community Park filled to capacity Thursday night and evacuees were asked to go instead to the East Valley Community Center. The Oceanside High School shelter also filled to capacity this morning and evacuees were asked to go instead to a newly opened shelter at Palomar College.

Evacuees were also being directed to the Pala Casino. People with horses and livestock were advised to take their animals to shelter at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

The California Highway Patrol closed down state Route 76 from Gird Road to Old Highway 395 and blocked off the latter route between West Lilac Road and state Route 76.

A contingent of about 700 firefighters from various area agencies was working to control the blaze as of late Thursday, Cal Fire Deputy Chief Dave Nissen said. Early this morning, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft joined the other firefighting helicopters and air tankers assigned to the fire.

Overnight, aircraft from the city of San Diego and Kern County were expected to conduct water drops, according to Nissen.

About 70 sheriff's deputies were working in the fire-ravaged area, handling road closures and providing security for evacuated homes.

Campuses in at least 11 school districts including in Bonsall, Carlsbad, Fallbrook, Julian, San Marcos and Vista were closed today. All classes and campus events in the Palomar Community College District were canceled.

Responding to a request from California Gov. Jerry Brown, President Donald Trump today, Dec. 8, declared a state of emergency in Southern California, ordering federal assistance to help fight a string of wildfires ravaging the region.

The federal aid is earmarked for Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Trump's order authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide leadership in coordinating disaster relief efforts.

"This action will help alleviate the hardship and suffering that the emergency may inflict on the local population and provide appropriate

assistance for required emergency measures,'' a White House statement said.

FEMA is authorized at its discretion to identify, mobilize and provide equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impact of the fires.

Seventy-five percent of direct FEMA and Homeland Security assistance will be backed by federal funding.

Statistics show that as of Wednesday, CalFire already has spent $490.3 million in battling wildfires in the fiscal year that ends in June 30,

2018, more than the $426.9 million authorized for the 12-month period.

That total does not include the cost of fighting the massive blazes now raging across Southern California, authorities said.

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