On November 13, the Escondido Police and Fire Communication Center received reports of a tree fire in the area of South Orange Street and West 13th Ave. Upon arrival of the first units, it was quickly determined that the large tree fire had extended rapidly into a wooden fence and an adjacent single-family residence located at 400 block of West 13th Ave. Additional resources were requested for a residential structure fire response with a confirmed working fire.
Aggressive action by the firefighters contained and controlled the main body of the fire activity in about 19 min from time of dispatch to the original tree fire. The tree fire extended into the roof, closest wall, and attic space of the house, with significant damage to the electrical panel and service meter.
In all, twenty-three firefighters and one fire prevention specialist responded to the fire. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Also, on November 13, Escondido Fire was dispatched to assist at the scene of a car accident. The first crews to arrive on scene, discovered a Tesla had crashed up the embankment on the opposite side of the embankment at Hale, after it collided into the underside of the freeway bridge. Luckily, the driver had escaped the vehicle on his own and reported that his Tesla was driving on “auto-pilot.” The driver was transported to Palomar Medical Center.
On November 19, Fire crews were dispatched to a report of a traffic accident requiring extrication (removal from vehicle) at a gas station on Via Rancho Parkway. When fire crews arrived, they found a single vehicle pushed up against a short retaining wall. During the crash, the driver’s foot was pinned outside the door and wedged between the vehicle and the
wall. Firefighters used a combination of airbags and hydraulic spreaders to simultaneously lift and push the vehicle away from the wall to allow removal of the driver’s leg without additional injury. The driver was transported to Palomar Medical Center.
