Early afternoon on May 14, a fire broke out near Sweetwater Authority’s Loveland Reservoir in Alpine. Authority staff swiftly responded to assist emergency services with access and logistics to the efforts to fight the wind-driven fire, which burned nearly 19 acres before being contained. During the incident, the reservoir property was used as a staging area and incident command center.
“This shared effort between Sweetwater Authority and emergency services demonstrates the importance of community partnership in times of crisis,” said Authority Board Chair Martinez-Perez in a press statement. “We greatly appreciate the dedication and bravery of first responders and are proud to have been able to assist them during this incident.”
Loveland Reservoir, an important drinking water resource for Authority customers, served as a vital asset during incident response. Approximately 32,000 gallons of water was lifted from the near-full reservoir by SDG&E and San Diego Sheriff helicopters to aid with fire suppression. Cal-Fire water trucks also used the reservoir property’s on-site fire hydrant for their fire-fighting efforts.
During the incident, the Authority temporarily closed its Loveland Recreation Program to protect the safety of those in the area. The program has since reopened to normal hours, available to view at www.sweetwater.org/recreation.
