A commercial egg ranch in Witch Creek, east of Ramona, was the scene of a substantial fire yesterday. CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire announced their presence at the site of the conflagration near the 25800 block of Highway 78, indicating that a large 25,000-square-foot building was fully involved.
@CALFIRESANDIEGO is at scene of a commercial structure fire near the 25800 block of Highway 78 in the community of Witch Creek. The fire is contained to a large commercial structure and there is currently no extension into the vegetation. Additional resources have been ordered.… pic.twitter.com/fiZISyeZy5
— CAL FIRE/San Diego County Fire (@CALFIRESANDIEGO) July 19, 2024
Adopting a defensive stance, Firefighters strove to contain the flames to the building of origin, sandwiched by exposures on both sides. The efforts were successful, and the burn was restricted to the facility. It was noted by the authorities that the affected structure housed a substantial population of poultry, with approximately 70,000 chickens causing an estimated $2 million in damage, as per Fox 5 San Diego.
The incident prompted a prolonged response from emergency teams. Providing an update, and as contained in a facility, Fox 5 San Diego reported that firefighters were set to remain on scene through the night and into the following day to manage salvage operations and ensure no resurgence of the fire occurred. Meanwhile, the lack of vegetative spread was a crucial factor in managing the incident. The San Diego County Sheriff Department's Bomb and Arson Unit is leading the investigation into the cause of the fire.
