The Witch Creek Fire was by far the largest of the October 2007 wildfires. The fire started around 12:35 pm on the 21st in Witch Creek Canyon near Santa Ysabel and quickly spread west to Ramona.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.
The Witch Creek Fire was by far the largest of the October 2007 wildfires. The fire started around 12:35 pm on the 21st in Witch Creek Canyon near Santa Ysabel and quickly spread west to Ramona. By the morning of the 22nd, strong Santa Ana winds had pushed the fire into Rancho Bernardo, Poway and Escondido, causing significant damage. From there the fire jumped over Interstate 15 and continued west, causing additional damage in Lake Hodges, 4S Ranch, Del Dios and Rancho Santa Fe. Several hundred-thousand people were informed of mandatory evacuation orders via a reverse 911 system. The fire destroyed 1,125 homes, 509 outbuildings, and 239 vehicles. An additional 77 homes and 25 outbuildings were damaged. An older couple was killed in their home on Highland Valley Road when fire raced through their property during the early morning hours of the 22nd. The married couple next door nearly suffered the same fate, but survived the fire by jumping into their swimming pool as their home burned down. At least 40 firefighters and 2 civilians were injured during the fire. A total of 197,990 acres of brush, grasslands, and oak savannah was burned. The cause of the fire was determined to be down power lines. The Witch Fire cost $18M to fight and was one of thirteen large, wind-driven wildfires to impact the San Diego CWA in late October.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildfire, San Diego County Valleys | 2007-10-22 | 58 | Male | Permanent Home | Direct |
| Wildfire, San Diego County Valleys | 2007-10-22 | 55 | Female | Permanent Home | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in California, October 2007
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 62764, 62765, 62766.