The Labor Day brush fire was a small brush fire that burned parts of Rancho Peñasquitos and Black Mountain Open Space Park in September 2005, during the 2005 California wildfire season. ^[1] Despite its small size, the brush fire was the worst wildfire to affect San Diego City in two years, since the Cedar Fire of 2003. ^[3] The wildfire resulted in 6 injuries, but did not result in structural damages. ^{[2] [3]} The brush fire was determined to have been started by a teenage boy, who was subsequently arrested. ^[2]

The fire

On Labor Day Monday, September 5, 2005, at around 12:55 PM PDT, at brush fire was reported in a field behind Mount Carmel High School, in Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego. The wildfire quickly spread northward, fanned by wind gusts of 15 mph (24 km/h), up the slopes of the Little Black Mountains in Black Mountain Open Space Park. Within an hour, the brush fire grew from 30 acres (0 km²) to 200 acres (1 km²). The brush fire also began moving towards some nearby homes in Rancho Peñasquitos, resulting in the evacuation of 200 homes in Rancho Peñasquitos. ^[1] This was the first time that a wildfire had burned into San Diego City, and the Rancho Peñasquitos area, since the Cedar Fire in 2003. ^[1] In September 2005, this brush fire was said to have been "the worst fire that the [San Diego Fire Department] responded to since the Cedar Fire", due to the fire's proximity to so many homes. ^[3] Firefighters were able to quickly stop the spread of the brush fire, with 40% containment of the fire by the evening of the same day, ^[1] and residents were allowed to return to their homes that evening. ^[4] Containment of the fire increased to 90% by Tuesday evening, on September 6. By September 7, the brush fire was fully extinguished. ^{[2] [3]}

Six people were injured in relation to the brush fire; a traffic accident between an SUV and a firefighting vehicle sent 5 civilians to the hospital, and a firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion on September 5. ^{[2] [3]} The Labor Day brush fire was determined to have been caused by a teenage boy, who was arrested on charges of arson. His name was not released to the public, due to his age. ^[2]

See also

• Cedar Fire (2003)
• October 2007 California wildfires
  • Witch Fire
• May 2014 San Diego County wildfires
• 2016 California wildfires

References