HWY 76 OPEN TO RESIDENTS ONLY

The storm has passed. Due to ice conditions and the potential for more ice-laden trees falling on the roadway, CHP has closed Highway 76 from Valley Center Road to Lake Henshaw for the duration of the night. However, all residents from the La Jolla Reservation, the closed Highway 76 corridor, and Palomar Mountain, with ID and chains, will be allowed access from either direction. They will be advised to drive slowly, especially in light of the potential of trees falling unexpectedly. So long as the wind does not increase again (affecting the trees), this limited closure should not change to a complete closure (that would even exclude residents).

HWY 76 CLOSED BY SNOW

Hwy 76 remains closed tonight at Rincon Ranch Road & at Lake Henshaw, with local residents being allowed in a East Grade only.

Which means that many Palomar Mountain people are not being allowed to get home without driving the long way around through Ramona or Temecula.

Snow levels down to the 1,500 foot mark are wreaking havoic, causing accidents and even trees are across some parts of the road.

Here's the latest from Sheriff's Lt. Sean Gerrity:

"Last report I just received is that we have trees falling down across Hwy 76, and they keep falling faster than we can clean them up (ice & snow is bringing them down). CHP is now closing the Henshaw-side access to everyone. They are working on moving the west side closure from Rincon Ranch Road to South Grade Road, and allow resident access there. For the Borrego crowd, they are working on allowing them up Palomar via South Grade, and back down East Grade back onto Hwy 76, but they will have to have chains if we are able to do this. Unfortunately, they won't be able to drive through any trees on Highway 76. Black ice is forming, too, to top everything else off."

SOME PALOMAR RESIDENTS GET BOIL ORDER

Some residents of Palomar Mountain must boil their water because it may contain coliform and E coli bacteria, which were found in the water after tests were conducted earlier in the week, according to the County Dept. of Environmental Health.
According to the health department tests indicate a well from which the water system draws its supply may be contaminated. E. coli poses a health risk to infants, young children, the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems. The boil water order will remain in effect until the distribution system has been disinfected and tests confirm the bacteria has been flushed from the system.
This boil order only applies to Palomar Observatory, the Cal Fire fire station, and the 15 or so residences on the observatory grounds.
The water on the rest of the mountain appears to be unaffected, including that at Baileys, the summit and the Palomar Mountain Mutual Water Co., which serves the Crestline area of the mountain. That last was confirmed today by Mike Probert, systems operator at the Palomar Mutual system.

SUCCESSFUL RESCUE OF BOY

This morning at 11:21 a 911 emergency call was received reporting a 10 year boy was in a canyon and had his right foot trapped under a boulder. The call was in the area of North Lake Wolford Rd and Ahern Ranch Rd.

Valley Center Battalion Chief 3317, Engine-73, Medic-73, San Pasqual Reservation 6711, Brush 67, and the San Diego County Sheriffs were dispatched to a Rescue call by CALFIRE to the reported location.

First on scene, San Diego County sheriffs’ found the boy and his father about 300’ down a steep canyon. They reported to Fire and Paramedics that a boulder weighing approximately 500 lbs was on top of the boys left ankle. The three sheriffs and the boys Dad were able to move the boulder off the ankle.

Paramedics made access to the patient and conducted an evaluation. They determined that the boy had a possible fracture of right ankle, so they stabilized the ankle in a splint. Because of the remote location and steepness of the hillside, Incident commander Nick Bishop assigned Engine 73, Engine 6711 and Brush 67 to set up a Rope Rescue system and the boy was hauled up to the top of the hill.

The initial contact with the patient happened within 5 minutes, but because of the complexity of extrication from the canyon, the incident lasted nearly 2 hours.

After talking with the paramedics, the boy’s parents chose to take him to hospital themselves rather than by ambulance.

After the Rescue was completed Fire crews took a quick break and hydration and were back in service.

PROPANE EXPOSION AT VC HOUSE

On Tuesday, January 29, 2008, at 1300 hours, a 911 emergency call was
received reporting an explosion In the house in the area of the 26000 block of Calle De Encinas in Valley Center (92082).

Upon arrival of the Valley Center Fire Protection District emergency
units (CALFIRE), Firefighters found a strong odor of propane gas in the area of the dwelling.
The homeowner indicated that an explosion had occurred in the kitchen
area and that there was still a single occupant in the home.

Firefighters removed the uninjured occupant to safety, secured the
propane and electric utilities, And ventilated the dwelling to prevent an additional explosion.


The reporting occupant suffered minor cuts and burns from the explosion
in the kitchen and was treated at the scene and released.

There were no firefighter injuries.



The home suffered moderate concussion damage from the blast, breaking
windows,

Buckling walls and damaging content. There was no resulting fire from
the explosion.

Damage was estimated as $5,000 to the structure and $5,000 to the
contents of the home.



The explosion is currently under investigation by the Valley Center Fire
Protection District and is believed to have originated in the area of the kitchen stove.



The home was deemed uninhabitable until inspections and repairs can be
made.

The occupants have found temporary alternate housing.

UPDATE ON ROAD CONDITIONS AND MUDSLIDES

Here's the latest update on road conditions from Sheriff's Lt. Sean Gerrity:

Since about 6:30 AM, there have been showers in the area of varying intensity, at times heavy. Except for the apparent re-flooding at Pauma Reservation Road and Highway 76, which apparently caused a collision this morning, I have not had any additional debris flow activity reported since last night. At least four watersheds in the burn area visibly had debris flow crossing and/or traveling down local roadways.

Adams Road/Pauma Reservation Road: There is a burn area watershed, rated as having an 80-100% probability (2 year and 10 year return interval) of releasing between 1,000 and 10,000 cubic meters of debris clearly did so (easily between this estimate range). The unnamed creek at the base of this watershed apparently feeds through a culvert, which appears to be buried, now. It nearly aligns perfectly with the straight portion of Adams Road that leads directly to Pauma Reservation Road. This creek intersects with Adams road on Thomas Brothers Map Page 1031 A7 (also, approximate coordinates of 33° 20‚ 18.02N, 116° 59‚ 10.12W). The deep debris and mudflow went over Adam Road (or possibly broke through Adams road, but I could not tell), down the creek, and also easterly around the small curve on Adams Road, then straight down Adams Road onto Pauma Reservation Road. It continued down Pauma Reservation Road onto Highway 76. Pauma Reservation Road/Hwy 76 was cleared and opened last night, but apparently had more flow back onto Highway 76 later this morning, apparently causing a non-injury collision after sunrise this morning. The portion of Adams Road from the creek's intersection to Pauma Reservation Road is so deep with debris and mud that it was not passable when I viewed it earlier, not even with my 4WD. There are at least four citrus agriculture residents long this portion of the roadway. If they did not pre-evacuate, they are likely unable to leave until County Roads can clear the debris. I could not enter the area to check these residences. The creek itself also had debris flow over Adams Road, which crossed Citricado Road, also. I believe this is the same watershed that released debris onto Adams Road during the weekend of November 30, 2007. County Roads has been notified, and CalTrans was working to clear the debris and water flow that flowed across and westbound along Highway 76 from Pauma Reservation Road, at the site of the collision.

There are two smaller watersheds adjacent to and directly west of this watershed, that also have flow paths that cross Adams Road. These are both in the burn area but are unrated on the debris flow maps. Both of these also had mudslide activity crossing Adams Road, with the one furthest west causing about 12" of steep mud across Adams Road, only passable with a four-wheel drive vehicle. I found an abandoned car stuck in this flow location.


Highway 76 west of South Grade: This is precisely the same location of the mudslide that occurred during the weekend of January 4, 2008, with at least the same amount of debris flow. This flow apparently (again) came from the watershed west of South Grade Road, estimated for a 1,000 to 10,000 cubic meter flow potential (61-80% probability in a 10 year return interval). CalTrans is currently directing traffic on one lane around the deeper water flow on the westbound side, while trying to clear the clogged culverts.

South Grade Road (S-6) at the 45 mile marker (above the 4,000 foot elevation level): This location is now cleared, opened around 9:30 AM. This was actually more of a rock slide, with rock that broke through a metal retainer intended to protect the roadway from such a slide at this particular curve. The metal mesh-type retainer is still intact and full of rock, but apparently much of the rock broke loose and subverted it onto the roadway. The mesh is on the west side of the road, at a location where the roadway was clearly cut into the mountain beneath this rock, which rises almost vertically and fairly high above the roadway at this location. Although this is in the burn area, it is not clear if this rock slide occurred as a result of the burn, or would have occurred anyway.

Lt. Gerrity

LATEST ON FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES

Here's the latest bulletin from Lt. Sean Gerrity of the Sheriff's Dept:

Since about 6:30 AM, there have been showers in the area of varying intensity, at times heavy. Except for the apparent re-flooding at Pauma Reservation Road and Highway 76, which apparently caused a collision this morning, I have not had any additional debris flow activity reported since last night. At least four watersheds in the burn area visibly had debris flow crossing and/or traveling down local roadways.

Adams Road/Pauma Reservation Road: There is a burn area watershed, rated as having an 80-100% probability (2 year and 10 year return interval) of releasing between 1,000 and 10,000 cubic meters of debris clearly did so (easily between this estimate range). The unnamed creek at the base of this watershed apparently feeds through a culvert, which appears to be buried, now. It nearly aligns perfectly with the straight portion of Adams Road that leads directly to Pauma Reservation Road. This creek intersects with Adams road on Thomas Brothers Map Page 1031 A7 (also, approximate coordinates of 33° 20‚ 18.02N, 116° 59‚ 10.12W). The deep debris and mudflow went over Adam Road (or possibly broke through Adams road, but I could not tell), down the creek, and also easterly around the small curve on Adams Road, then straight down Adams Road onto Pauma Reservation Road. It continued down Pauma Reservation Road onto Highway 76. Pauma Reservation Road/Hwy 76 was cleared and opened last night, but apparently had more flow back onto Highway 76 later this morning, apparently causing a non-injury collision after sunrise this morning. The portion of Adams Road from the creek's intersection to Pauma Reservation Road is so deep with debris and mud that it was not passable when I viewed it earlier, not even with my 4WD. There are at least four citrus agriculture residents long this portion of the roadway. If they did not pre-evacuate, they are likely unable to leave until County Roads can clear the debris. I could not enter the area to check these residences. The creek itself also had debris flow over Adams Road, which crossed Citricado Road, also. I believe this is the same watershed that released debris onto Adams Road during the weekend of November 30, 2007. County Roads has been notified, and CalTrans was working to clear the debris and water flow that flowed across and westbound along Highway 76 from Pauma Reservation Road, at the site of the collision.

There are two smaller watersheds adjacent to and directly west of this watershed, that also have flow paths that cross Adams Road. These are both in the burn area but are unrated on the debris flow maps. Both of these also had mudslide activity crossing Adams Road, with the one furthest west causing about 12" of steep mud across Adams Road, only passable with a four-wheel drive vehicle. I found an abandoned car stuck in this flow location.


Highway 76 west of South Grade: This is precisely the same location of the mudslide that occurred during the weekend of January 4, 2008, with at least the same amount of debris flow. This flow apparently (again) came from the watershed west of South Grade Road, estimated for a 1,000 to 10,000 cubic meter flow potential (61-80% probability in a 10 year return interval). CalTrans is currently directing traffic on one lane around the deeper water flow on the westbound side, while trying to clear the clogged culverts.

South Grade Road (S-6) at the 45 mile marker (above the 4,000 foot elevation level): This location is now cleared, opened around 9:30 AM. This was actually more of a rock slide, with rock that broke through a metal retainer intended to protect the roadway from such a slide at this particular curve. The metal mesh-type retainer is still intact and full of rock, but apparently much of the rock broke loose and subverted it onto the roadway. The mesh is on the west side of the road, at a location where the roadway was clearly cut into the mountain beneath this rock, which rises almost vertically and fairly high above the roadway at this location. Although this is in the burn area, it is not clear if this rock slide occurred as a result of the burn, or would have occurred anyway.

Lt. Gerrity