The Fairmount fire started near a homeless encampment; the cause is under investigation

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Firefighters wearing yellow helmets, fire gear and hoses spray water on a charred hillside.

They clean up what’s left offire that occurred here near Fairmount Avenue and Montezuma Road Thursday afternoon.. As of Friday afternoon, it was 80% contained.

“We were actually here when they were firebombing the canyon; came right under the spray and determined the house was still there, which was reassuring,” Charlie Ertl said.

Charlie and Ginny Ertle live on Lila Drive, where the team raced to protect the homes adjacent to the canyon.

“They got here and there was a fire. And they were able to fight him back because, according to them, within a short time our house would be gone,” Ginny Ertl said.

San Diego Fire Rescue says crews on the ground and in the air were able to extinguish the fire, which burned dozens of acres and damaged several homes. No one was hurt.

While the cause is still under investigation, department officials told ABC 10News the fire started at or very close to a homeless encampment.

“We’ve seen an increase in homeless activity over the last year and a half,” said Talmadge resident Ron Anderson.

While the fire department did not specify where exactly the fire started, Anderson and others on Friday expressed concern about encampments in nearby areas.

Anderson said he saw several in the canyon near where the fire started and another near Fairmount and Montezuma.

“It’s a huge camp,” Anderson said. “What we find, I mean… the fire was inevitable. You know, they have, as they said, propane tanks. They have cans of gasoline. They have everything you know.”

But others I spoke to did not.

“We didn’t see any camps. But we saw people with shopping carts on the side of the road when people were shopping, leaving the carts there and taking things,” Charlie Ertl said.

In general, on Friday, many people say one thing: thank you to those who responded first.

“What can you say? It’s good for them and we’re very, very lucky to have them,” Ginny Ertl said.