North County Fire Protection District

Captain Rick Rees will retire this morning after 31 years of service to the North County Fire Protection District. He began his career in April of 1990 as one of the first 12 paramedics hired when we started our paramedic program. He served as a Firefighter/Paramedic for 7 years, an Engineer for 9 years, and has served as a Captain for 15 years. From 1992 to 1997 he also served as a flight medic with Air Evac International. He has been a very involved member of this organ...ization over the years. He was one of the first Blue Card Fire Command instructors in the North Zone and has continued instructing command and control among other disciplines. In retirement, Captain Rees plans to move to Idaho where he will enjoy the great outdoors that he loves so much. He leaves behind a lasting legacy that includes so many individuals who were mentored and developed under his leadership. He has set a great example of loyalty and professionalism and will certainly be missed. Thank you Captain Rees for your 31 years of dedicated service to the North County Fire Protection District. We wish you the best and great health in the next wonderful chapter of your life.

We're always happy to help!

No wait and no appointment necessary. Stop by 1636 E. Mission Rd. today, anytime between now and 4:30PM, to receive your COVID-19 vaccine. The clinic will be administering the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) single dose vaccine.

If you are still in need of your COVID-19 vaccination, keep an eye on Fallbrook Regional Health District's Facebook as well as their website. They have appointments available for a clinic in Fallbrook this Saturday. You can sign up by visiting: www.fallbrookhealth.org/vaccination-clinics

This morning at 5:21 AM NCFPD responded to a vehicle fire on the southbound 15 just south of Mission Road. Crews made a quick knockdown on the fire before the morning commute. Thankfully, no one was injured.

It’s not everyday you get the call for a cat in a tree. Not just one, but TWO successful cat rescues today by our Probationary Firefighter DeStefano!

Early Wednesday morning, North County Fire crews responded to a vehicle fire off of Santa Margarita Drive in Fallbrook. The vehicle fire did extend into the nearby vegetation; however, the crews were able to quickly stop the forward rate of spread.

As we begin to experience more cold days, we will see an increase in fireplace usage and consequently, an increase in chimney fires. This Saturday alone, there were three chimney fires within the North Zone. These chimney fires come as a result of homeowners neglecting chimney cleaning procedures which should take place once a year, at minimum. For more information on how you can avoid chimney fires, please visit: csia.org/chimneyfires

We are proud to share the three newest members of our North County Fire family: Firefighter Cain, Firefighter DeStefano, and Firefighter Swan. We look forward to serving our community alongside these three new employees.

Last night, North County Fire crews arrived on scene to find a detached garage fully involved. Due to the quick and effective efforts of our firefighters, we were able to contain the fire to the detached garage. Thank you to Camp Pendleton Fire for their support on this incident. : 35.Mike Photography

We are seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases within our community. As a result, we are now responding to more COVID-19 calls than ever before. We are doing everything we can to help our community. We ask that you please do everything you can by wearing a mask and social distancing. Please refrain from multi-household gatherings. It has been incredibly difficult to see our community suffer at the hands of this deadly virus. We are extremely saddened by the loss that this community has felt and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has lost a loved one to COVID-19.

For more information on how you can stay fire safe this winter season, please visit: https://www.nfpa.org//Fire-causes-and-risks/Seasonal-fire-

A red flag warning remains in place for our area from now through Tuesday evening. This means that our community needs to be prepared to evacuate in the event of wildfire. See the graphic below for some important steps you can take to prepare. As always, a great resource for preparedness is ReadySanDiego.org If you follow our Twitter page (www.twitter.com/northcountyfire), now is a good time to turn notifications on. If you don't have a Twitter account you can still bookmark our page and visit it periodically via the web.

Today marks the 3 year anniversary of the Lilac Fire. This wind-driven fire devastated our community and deeply affected all of us. Today, we take time to remember all of those affected by this fire. With this in mind, it is important to note that we will be under a Red Flag warning and heading into another Santa Ana wind event this evening. Please take precautions and be prepared to evacuate if necessary.

13 years ago, on October 22nd, 2007, the Rice Canyon Fire started shortly after 4AM on a Monday morning. It continued to burn through November 1st. This fire was sparked when a dead tree limb fell across power lines north of State Route 76. During this time, the fire burned through approximately 9,400 acres. Tragically, 206 homes, two commercial buildings, and 40 outbuildings were lost. If a fire similar to the Rice Canyon Fire began today, would you be prepared? Do what you can today to ensure you have an evacuation plan and have made your home as fire safe as possible. For tips on how to better prepare for wildfire, please visit: readysandiego.org

Here is another shot of our crews assisting with the Creek Fire in Fresno County. Our firefighters, tasked with putting out hotspots, had to cut down this tree in order to extinguish the fire that was burning inside of it. By doing this, they were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other parts of the forest.

Early this morning crews from North County Fire, Camp Pendleton and Vista Fire departments responded to a working residential structure fire at the 700 block of East Alvarado Street in Fallbrook. They encountered a working fire with extension into the attic. Rapid cordinated attack by these engine companies allowed them to make a good aggressive stop on the fire. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

We would like to congratulate Deputy Chief Steve Marovich for his 33.5 years of faithful service to our community and department, and wish him well in his retirement. Steve was born in Gary, Indiana where he majored in Business at Indiana University. Steve moved to San Diego in 1985 to follow his sister who stayed in San Diego after the Vietnam War. Steve’s father was a police officer and his sister was a nurse. Steve was moved by their selfless service to their communities ...Continue reading

There will be free COVID-19 testing from now until noon & free flu shots from 1-3pm. No appointment necessary!

A reminder that NCFPD's administrative office will be closed tomorrow (Monday) in observance of Columbus Day. Essential fire, rescue & medical services will continue without interruption.

Free COVID-19 testing at North County Fire Protection District Fire Station 3. Located at 2309 Rainbow Valley Blvd. Fallbrook, CA 92028. No appointments necessary. Testing ends at 10/10/2020 at 1:20 pm.

It is never too early to start teaching your children about fire safety. This video about fire safety in the kitchen is a great teaching resource. Check it out!

This photo was taken while our crews were assisting with the Creek Fire in Fresno County last week. North County Fire personnel were tasked with putting out hotspots that remained in the areas that fire had recently passed through. The Creek Fire is now the largest single fire in California’s history. It has burned over 330,000 acres and is currently 49% contained.

For more information on kitchen fire safety, visit: https://www.nfpa.org//S/Preparedness/Fire-Prevention-Week

We are happy to announce the safe return of our OES 419 crew who have been assisting with the Creek Fire burning in Fresno. The Creek Fire was first sparked on Friday, September 4, and 326,706 acres have burned as of Tuesday morning with 49% containment. Today, this is the largest single fire in California's recorded history. We welcome home Captain Harrington, Engineer Spencer, Firefighter Paramedic Krenz, and Firefighter Paramedic Rivera. It was an honor to serve the people of Fresno in their time of need.

This year, Fire Prevention Week is focusing on fire safety in the kitchen. According to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Almost half (44%) of reported home fires started in the kitchen. Two-thirds (66%) of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials. We'll be posting tips throughout the week. For more information, please visit: https://www.nfpa.org//St/Preparedness/Fire-Prevention-Week

UPDATE: (2:45pm) The forward rate of spread has been stopped. ***Smoke Advisory*** Camp Pendleton currently has a fire on their base. Smoke is visible in our district. There is no fire threat to our district at this time.