A third heat wave in a little more than a month could increase the fire danger this week, but the county might escape record highs this time.
Temperatures at the coast tomorrow are expected to jump 10 or more degrees to the high 70s, then continue climbing through Friday. By then, the beaches could be in the mid-80s, and some inland valleys could reach 95.
The elevated temperatures, combined with low humidity and dry brush, will raise the fire danger from the foothills to the coast, said Rob Balfour, a National Weather Service forecaster.
“It's bad, and it's getting worse,” he said. “Certainly, these will be dangerous days for the fire threat.”
Saturday is still expected to be hot, but temperatures should drop about 5 degrees, and Sunday should be another 5 degrees cooler.
Record highs were set around the county April 26-28 and April 11-13. –R.K.
East County fire districts
seek approval for merger
EAST COUNTY: The county Board of Supervisors will consider a proposal tomorrow that would result in the merger of two East County fire districts.
The proposal calls for consolidating the tax revenues for the East County Fire Protection District, which covers Crest and Bostonia, and the San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District, which covers Casa de Oro, Mount Helix, La Presa, Rancho San Diego, Spring Valley and unincorporated El Cajon and La Mesa.
The East County Fire Protection District has long been beset with financial difficulties. Voters in the district approved a new tax in September of $250 a year per home or apartment. District officials said the tax was needed because the department had a deficit of more than $600,000.
Dawn Hubert, president of East County's board, said it made sense for the smaller district to merge with San Miguel as the cost of fire protection continues to rise.
“It's a lot less expensive to run something larger with less administration,” she said.
Both boards have voted unanimously in favor of the proposal. If approved by the county supervisors, a public hearing on the consolidation will be held June 2 at the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission, a government agency that oversees special districts. –A.K.
Trustees trying to revoke All Tribes school charter
VALLEY CENTER: The Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District board voted to start the process of revoking the charter for All Tribes American Indian Charter School last week.
Superintendent Lou Obermeyer told board members that the Rincon reservation school had inadequately responded to concerns about how it keeps track of attendance or money.
Obermeyer said the district will schedule a public hearing on the revocation within a month, and then, if warranted, formally revoke the charter a month later. The school can appeal to county and state education officials.
Jerry Simmons, the school's attorney, said the district hasn't given All Tribes administrators a fair chance to answer the allegations.
Graduation for the 62-student school, created for children living on North County Indian reservations, is scheduled for June 18. –O.R.S.
Rescue Task Force official
trying to enter Myanmar
EL CAJON: Gary Becks of Rescue Task Force said his wife has made it to the border of Myanmar but is still trying to cross into the country to aid cyclone victims.
Benyapa Becks left for Myanmar last Tuesday, three days after the cyclone swept across the country.
She is representing the El Cajon-based relief organization that has offered assistance to disaster victims around the world. Gary Becks, who heads the organization, met his wife in Bangkok, Thailand, while doing relief work after the tsunami in December 2004 devastated southeast Asia.
Because Benyapa Becks is a Thai national, Gary Becks said he is hoping she will have less trouble obtaining a visa than he would if he accompanied her.
Becks said yesterday that his wife arrived late Sunday in the Thai border town of Mae Sot and will soon find out if Myanmar immigration officials will approve her request for a visa. Those requests are being granted case by case, he said. –A.K.
Bus drivers and MTS
reach labor agreement
SAN DIEGO: Bus drivers have reached a five-year labor agreement with the region's lead transit agency, it was announced yesterday.
The 560-member Local 1309 of the San Diego Bus Drivers Union ratified the pact with the Metropolitan Transit System over the weekend.
Union and agency officials say the agreement includes changes in work rules aimed at saving money and a new two-tier wage system that will make newer drivers eligible for pay raises once a year instead of every six months.
Union President Steve Alcove said he was pleased with the pact, saying it provides job stability in tough economic times. –S.S.
Staff writers Robert Krier, Anne Krueger, Onell R. Soto and Steve Schmidt contributed to this report.
