Fallbrook re-opened!
Most of Fallbrook is open to evacuees who want to return home, state fire officials said Thursday. Earlier in the day, they said Friday would be the earliest date for re-entry.
Residents can return to homes as far east as Gird Road and to areas
accessible from South Mission Road, a fire agency spokesman said. Roughly 40,000 people were evacuated on Monday as the Rice Canyon fire burned out of control.
The area that remains off-limits is in the eastern section of town that sustained heavy fire damage. That means that police will continue to block access to East Mission Road off of Interstate 15.
Evacuation orders still are in effect generally between the interstate and Stagecoach Lane in the northeast and along East Reche Road to Live Oak Park. It's not clear when those areas will be rid of downed power lines and other threats to public safety that officials say make repopulation unsafe.
For the rest of town, evacuation orders were lifted because the Fallbrook Public Utility District on Thursday rebuilt a chlorination facility at Red Mountain. The equipment had burned in the fire.
Fire officials said for the first time Thursday that the blaze was sparked by a power line that snapped in heavy winds east of the interstate. An estimated 9,000 acres and 20,000 avocado trees were burned, along with roughly 250 homes and other structures.
The fire is expected to be fully contained by Sunday. The cost to fight it has topped $1.2 million.
Fallbrook residents who live within the following boundaries are allowed to return to their homes as of 7 p.m.:
West of Gird Road between Highway 76 and Reche Road
West of Reche Road from Gird to Live Oak Park.
North of Live Oak Park from Reche Road to Alavarado
West of Live Oak Park on Alvarado to Stage Coach
North on Stage Coach to East Mission Road
West on East Mission to the western boundary of Fallbrook
No access will be allowed East or West of these boundaries.
My mom already went back to town and is going to work all night. I guess maybe my grandmother and grandfather can go home tomorrow? I wonder how the air quality is there ...
Residents can return to homes as far east as Gird Road and to areas
accessible from South Mission Road, a fire agency spokesman said. Roughly 40,000 people were evacuated on Monday as the Rice Canyon fire burned out of control.
The area that remains off-limits is in the eastern section of town that sustained heavy fire damage. That means that police will continue to block access to East Mission Road off of Interstate 15.
Evacuation orders still are in effect generally between the interstate and Stagecoach Lane in the northeast and along East Reche Road to Live Oak Park. It's not clear when those areas will be rid of downed power lines and other threats to public safety that officials say make repopulation unsafe.
For the rest of town, evacuation orders were lifted because the Fallbrook Public Utility District on Thursday rebuilt a chlorination facility at Red Mountain. The equipment had burned in the fire.
Fire officials said for the first time Thursday that the blaze was sparked by a power line that snapped in heavy winds east of the interstate. An estimated 9,000 acres and 20,000 avocado trees were burned, along with roughly 250 homes and other structures.
The fire is expected to be fully contained by Sunday. The cost to fight it has topped $1.2 million.
Fallbrook residents who live within the following boundaries are allowed to return to their homes as of 7 p.m.:
West of Gird Road between Highway 76 and Reche Road
West of Reche Road from Gird to Live Oak Park.
North of Live Oak Park from Reche Road to Alavarado
West of Live Oak Park on Alvarado to Stage Coach
North on Stage Coach to East Mission Road
West on East Mission to the western boundary of Fallbrook
No access will be allowed East or West of these boundaries.
My mom already went back to town and is going to work all night. I guess maybe my grandmother and grandfather can go home tomorrow? I wonder how the air quality is there ...