SAN DIEGO -- County officials said Wednesday that the Cedar Fire has charred 250,000 acres, destroyed 960 structures and completly wiped out an entire town, 10News reported.
Firefighters are trying to tame the worst fire in San Diego County history are making a stand to save the town of Julian, 10News reported.
Fire officials have 100 engines and 300 firefighters in Julian, but remained concerned since the fire has recently jumped nearby Highway 79. They said the Julian Post Office may be threatened.
Julian was evacuated Tuesday, along with Cuyamaca, Descanso, Laguna, Pine Hills, Pine Valley, Wynola, Guatay, Lake Henshaw, Pauma Valley and Palomar Mountain.
Officials Wednesday also had residents of Santa Ysabel evacuated.
Crews sprayed streets in downtown Julian with foam fire retardant, which helped save the historic town. Also, the winds shifted away from the town. However, officials said 200-300 homes around Julian and in the Kentwood-in-the-Pines areas had burned Tuesday night, 10News reported.
The rustic mountain hamlet of Cuyamaca was not as fortunate as Julian.
Despite the efforts of firefighters, 90 percent of the community was destroyed by the Cedar Fire, said Bill Clayton of the Department of Forestry.
"The community of Cuyamaca, basically, there's not much left," Clayton told 10News.
Altogether, the fires have destroyed 455,000 acres in San Diego County and have killed at least 13 people. Officials say as of Wednesday 1,071 homes have been destroyed and 32,000 people were still without power.
Sheriff Bill Kolender called the crisis the "greatest fire tragedy in the history of this county."
Kolander asked that everyone "cooperate with deputies, as the evacuations continue, to ensure that everyone gets out safely."
At an evening briefing, Rick Martinez, chief deputy director of the state Department of Homeland Security, echoed Kolender's remarks.
The 29-year fire service veteran from Sacramento called it a fire siege "like none of us can remember."
Improved weather conditions -- including lighter winds and lower humidity -- are expected to help firefighters contain the blazes.
"Winds will continue to be light as high pressure pulls out of the area. An onshore flow will begin to develop Wednesday creating a thick marine layer with cooler temperatures and increased humidity. This will help firefighting efforts tremendously," 10News weather anchor James Quinones said.
Kolender said the county will try to get back to some sense of normalcy Wednesday, though Superior Court facilities will remain closed. All public schools in the county also will be shut down again.
The sheriff said the fire tragedy would have been far worse if not for the cooperation of every sector of the San Diego community.
Paradise Fire
The Paradise Fire -- which forced the Palomar Mountain community to evacuate -- has burned more than 40,000 acres. The fire has consumed 111 homes and 100 outbuildings.
The La Jolla Indian Reservation has been evacuated.
Residents can go to the Red Cross shelter at Valley Center High School in Fallbrook, or at Emmanuel Faith Chapel in Escondido.
Escondido officials say City Hall, libraries and the Josyln Senior Center remain closed Wednesday.
The fire is 20 percent contained as of Wednesday morning and full containment is expected by Saturday.
Scripps Ranch Residents
Authorities have reopened sections of Scripps Ranch where about 350 were destroyed, according to 10News.
The Scripps Ranch Civic Center posted a list of homes destroyed in the Scripps Ranch area.
Visit www.scrippsranch.org to view the list.
Sections of Tierrasanta and San Carlos were also approved to reopen. Also, residents of the East County neighborhood of San Diego Country Estates, east of Ramona, have returned to their homes.
One of the first major mobile insurance processing vans will be set up Wednesday morning. State Farm will set up at the new Vons in Scripps Ranch at 9:30 a.m.
Click here to get FEMA help and insurance claims.Firestorm Relief Telethon
KGTV Channel 10 thanks everyone who donated money to the fire victims through its phone bank with the American Red Cross Monday night. A total of $1,277,334 was raised.
Another thank you goes to the volunteers who helped answer phones, including Gov. Gray Davis.
All donations will stay in San Diego County, despite a report from
The San Diego Union-Tribune published Tuesday. The paper reported that the National Red Cross officials rejected a plan to earmark donations for San Diego.
Bob Morris, spokesman for the local chapter of the Red Cross, assured 10News that the funds will stay in San Diego County.
"If a donor contributes their money to San Diego fire relief, it will go into a segregated, I don't want to say account, but it will be segregated and totally accounted for, and the money will be spent only on relief for local San Diego fire victims," Morris said.
It's not too late to give.
Call the Red Cross directly at
(619) 542-7400 or visit
www.sdarc.org to make your donation to "Firestorm Relief."
The Red Cross is also asking for food or clothing donations to St. Vincent de Paul.
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