How fuel breaks helped wildfire agencies contain the Grove 2 Fire in eastern San Diego County

Story by: Julia Mogen, Public Affairs Specialist, BLM California Desert District 

Photos by: LaReina Van Sant, Wildlife Biologist, Palm Springs – South Coast Field Office and Rex Hambly, Mitigation-Trespass Technician, California Desert Interagency Fire Program   

During an intense fire season in summer 2024, lightning strikes ignited numerous fires across California and on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) California Desert District. At the end of July 2024, BLM fire staff were on high alert monitoring lightning activity, when they received an urgent call from northeastern San Diego County.  

The Grove 2 Fire was spreading rapidly through rural, hilly terrain, leading to immediate evacuation orders and warnings in surrounding communities. Over the course of four days, fire crews worked hard to extinguish the blaze, which ultimately scorched 863 acres; 653 of which were public lands managed by the BLM. 

The BLM California Desert District oversees nearly 11 million acres of public lands, including scattered parcels near urban areas and vast, uninterrupted mountain ranges and wilderness areas.   

The BLM maintains a network of fuel breaks in the California Desert District to protect communities and support fire suppression efforts. These blocks or strips of land help firefighters manage wildfires. Physical barriers like roads, bulldozer lines, and bodies of water serve as effective fuel breaks. In areas of high fire risk, strategically creating fuel breaks by thinning can effectively decrease fire behavior so that fires burning into the fuel breaks can be easily controlled.    

During the Grove 2 Fire, CAL FIRE prioritized controlling the fire's perimeter to stop the spread of fire and reinforcing fire lines. The BLM provided the incident command team with location access and local knowledge that helped support their decision-making. 

Teamwork and cooperation during fire incidents is important for the BLM and partners given the diverse array of state, federal and Tribal agencies that manage lands in California.  

Approximately 374 personnel helped extinguish the Grove 2 Fire, as well as five helicopters, 20 fire engines, five bulldozers, and 12 water tenders. Through firefighters combined efforts, the Grove 2 Fire was successfully contained within four days. 

Ensuring residents in Chihuahua Valley were safe during the Grove 2 Fire incident remained a top priority. The trust and coordination between CAL FIRE and the BLM teams significantly benefited the community and firefighters’ ability to extinguish the blaze. 

The BLM Fire team works closely with CAL FIRE by maintaining open lines of communication to enhance wildland firefighting efforts. To support this partnership, Rex Hambly, Mitigation-Trespass Technician for the California Desert Interagency Fire Program, is stationed at CAL FIRE San Diego Unit Headquarters and has been for the last seven years. By building a rapport with CAL FIRE firefighters on and off-duty, the respective agencies refine their coordination and boost their effectiveness on the front lines of wildfires. Like the BLM, CAL FIRE has a long history of wildland firefighting and cultural resource protection. 

Sam Meza, Fuels Technician for the California Desert Interagency Fire Program, served as the BLM Agency Representative on the Grove 2 Fire and was recognized by CAL FIRE and San Diego County for his work. Meza’s excellent collaboration skills and valuable input into strategies regarding BLM-managed lands contributed to the overall success of the team.  

After the Grove 2 Fire was extinguished, firefighters contributed substantial efforts towards suppression repair. Fire suppression repair includes immediate post-fire actions to minimize impacts like soil erosion resulting from firefighting activities. On the Grove 2 Fire, crews quickly restored dozer lines and fixed roads for residents to reach their properties.   

"These collaborative relationships enabled everyone involved to successfully suppress the fire, safeguard resources, and address post-fire damage," said BLM California Desert District Fire Chief Paul Gibbs.  

BLM Fire also coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during suppression efforts to minimize impacts to threatened, endangered or sensitive species such as Quino checkerspot butterflies, arroyo toads, and southwestern pond turtles. 

Thank you to additional partners who played a key role in extinguishing the Grove 2 Fire: San Diego Sheriff's Department, San Diego County Fire Protection District, US Geological Survey, US Forest Service - Cleveland National Forest, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, San Diego County Office of Emergency Services, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, California Highway Patrol, California State Parks, Vista Irrigation District, Los Coyotes Reservation, and various city fire departments that responded to assist with the suppression of the fire.