On March 22, the Escondido Police and Fire Department responded to a report of hazardous material at 1051 Rock Springs Road. Upon arrival, Firefighters discovered what appeared to be a small suspicious combustible device in the adjacent parking lot that had burned a patch of grass. Bystanders directed firefighters to two similar items next to a building. Due to the unknown nature of the devices, San Diego County HazMat and the San Diego Sheriff Bomb/Arson team were requested to secure and analyze the material. There were no injuries as a result of this incident.
On March 22, the Escondido Police and Fire Communication Center received reports of a home on fire at 918 E. 3rd Ave. Prior to the Fire Department’s arrival, an Escondido Police Officer reported that there was smoke and fire coming from the home. Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire and contained it in approximately 30 minutes with the initially assigned resources including four engines, one ladder truck, one rescue ambulance and one Battalion Chief. Neighbors reported that the home was supposedly vacant for some time and SDGE confirmed that there was no natural gas or electricity service to the structure. However, there was evidence that the home had recently been occupied. The fire caused significant damage to the structure. The cause of the fire is under investigation. No civilians or firefighters were injured.
On March 27, the Escondido Fire Department held a badge pinning and recognition ceremony for 24 employees who have been promoted since May 2019. The pinning of badges on newly promoted personnel by family members is a time-honored tradition in the fire service. Normally, EFD holds a badge pinning ceremony at least annually, however, due to the pandemic, the event has been postponed for nearly three years. Congratulations to all of our dedicated Fire Department team members who were able to celebrate with friends, family and co-workers.
