Crime & Safety

Update: Truck Caused I-8 Fires, Sparked Grossmont High Evacuation

Santee man apparently was not aware truck was ablaze—igniting roadside brush before 1 p.m.

Updated at 5:43 p.m. April 12, 2013

A pickup truck with a faulty exhaust system sparked a series of brush fires alongside Interstate 8 around the El Cajon-La Mesa border Friday, briefly closing part of the freeway, disrupting trolley service and prompting the evacuation of Grossmont High School.

The motorist, a 37-year-old Santee man, entered the freeway at West Main Street shortly before 1 p.m. and headed west, unaware that emissions from his vehicle’s tailpipe were igniting roadside foliage, according to the California Highway Patrol.

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The motorist continued on for several miles before pulling off at Grossmont Boulevard. He then looked underneath the truck and realized that the catalytic converter was “glowing red” and the engine was burning, said CHP public-affairs Officer Brian Pennings.

Several passers-by helped him douse the flames with a fire extinguisher.

Find out what's happening in La Mesa-Mount Helixwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

By then, flames were moving up hillsides in four spots alongside the northern side of the freeway, briefly threatening a Mormon Church on Murray Drive in La Mesa and prompting administrators at nearby Grossmont High School to clear everyone off the campus as a precaution.

The westbound side of the route was fully closed while firefighters doused the blazes, which took about a half-hour, said Sonny Saghera, a spokesman for Heartland Fire & Rescue.

Trolley runs through the area also were delayed for about 20 minutes, he said.

No structural damage or injuries were reported.

Administrators at the evacuated high school got an all-clear shortly before 2 p.m., said Catherine Martin, a spokeswoman for Grossmont Union High School District. By then, it was the end of the school day for most students anyway, so the majority of them did not return to campus, Martin said.

The man whose truck ignited the blazes told investigators he had just bought the vehicle from a private party in Ramona and was on his way to a
garage to get it checked out when the mechanical problem occurred.

Earlier story

Fire spokesman now says a burning westbound pickup truck sparked a series of small brush fires alongside Interstate 8 around the El Cajon-La Mesa border today, briefly closing part of the freeway, disrupting trolley service and prompting the evacuation of a nearby secondary school.

The driver of the vehicle apparently was not immediately aware that it had caught fire and was igniting roadside brush as it traveled along the regional route shortly before 1 p.m., said Sonny Saghera, a spokesman for Heartland Fire & Rescue.

The motorist continued on for several miles before pulling off at Grossmont Boulevard and safely exiting the burning truck, according to Saghera.

By then, flames were moving up hillsides alongside the northern side of the freeway, briefly threatening a Mormon Church on Murray Drive in La Mesa and prompting administrators at nearby Grossmont High School to clear everyone off the campus as a precaution.

The flames were all extinguised in about 30 minutes. Trolley service was interrupted for 20 minutes.

Updated at 2:24 p.m. April 12, 2013

All lanes of westbound Interstate 8 were open just before 2 p.m. Friday as fire crews knocked down multiple small brush fires in La Mesa and El Cajon possibly sparked by a car, authorities said.

La Mesa police had warned motorists to stay clear of Interstate 8 and Murray Drive on the La Mesa-El Cajon border because of brush fires reported just before 1 p.m. Friday. Murray Drive traffic was open in both directions by 2 p.m.

La Mesa police told Patch that arson is not suspected, but authorities think a car may have sparked the fires driving by.

"There are no reports of structural damage or injuries due to the blazes," the CHP said.

"Multiple spot fires along I-8 Westbound from W. Main St. in El Cajon to Spring St. in La Mesa. Freeway shut down," said a Nixle alert at 1:35 p.m.

Several students from Grossmont High School told Patch that administrators kept them on campus as the school day ended, moving everyone to the back of campus near the sports fields.

An ALERTNOW message was sent to parents at 1:08 p.m.:

Attention parents we have two fires next to our campus and are evacuating all students safely to Harry Griffith Park.  Please do not come to campus as all students are safe.  If you plan to pick up your student at the regular time, please connect with them in Harry Griffith Park off of Milden Street.

District spokesperson Catherine Martin confirmed that the school was evacuated until the fire department gave them the okay. She said students returned to class and that they were dismissed at the normal time.

At 1:25 p.m., the California Highway Patrol posted on its website that fire officials advised "they might be here for one or two hours until fire is all knocked down."

But a CHP posting at 2:06 p.m. said: "All fires knocked down. Fire working on getting resources off the freeway now." At 2:22 p.m., La Mesa police said via Nixle alert that the fires were all out and LMPD and Astrea heliocopter were leaving the scene.

A Sig-Alert had been issued for the area, the CHP said.

—City News Service contributed to this report.


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